Eugène Ionesco’s play Exit the King, directed by Gábor Tompa, has been selected for the 36th edition of the National Theatre Festival (FNT) in Bucharest.

Organized by the Romanian Theatre Association (UNITER), the National Theatre Festival is one of Romania’s most significant theater events; its 36th edition will take place in Bucharest from October 16–25, 2026.

The theme of this year’s edition is: […] perfectly human. FNT36’s curatorial team consists of theater critics Raluca Cîrciumaru, Alina Epîngeac, and Sebastian-Vlad Popa.

Cluj audiences will be able to see the studio performance at the beginning of the new season, on August 22, in the Main Hall of the Hungarian Theatre of Cluj.

“Returning to Gábor Tompa’s direction, it highlights the king’s mental decline, the symbolic disintegration of the world, the sharply contrasting characters, the tension between them, and the laughably pitiful moments of the king clinging to power — contrasting them with moments of silence and grandeur. András Both’s set design is minimalist; the empty space expresses a sense of existential void. The costumes, designed by Angéla Balogh, not only hint at the characters’ status but also at the extent of their decline. Last but not least, Gábor Tompa’s direction is a call to the audience to reflect on “the meaning of life,” as well as on the inevitability of death. The staging alone transforms Eugène Ionesco’s text into a theatrical experience that is as profound as it is unsettling. Accompanied by Csaba Boros’s music, which highlights the central theme — death — and signals the passage of time, the erosion of the king’s inner world, the transition from the illusion of power to reality, and the acceptance of reality.” — wrote Demostene Șofron about the performance in Făclia.

Ervin Szűcs plays the lead role in the production, with supporting roles played by: Csilla Varga, Csilla Albert, Lóránd Váta, Hannah Daradics, and Ferenc Sinkó.

The creative team of the production includes: András Both, set designer; Angéla Balogh, costume designer; Csaba Boros, composer; Ferenc Sinkó, choreographer; Romeo Groza, lighting designer; and Ilona Varga-Járó, puppet maker. The production is based on György Gera’s Hungarian translation.

Tickets for the Cluj performances of Exit the King can be purchased online at huntheater.biletmaster.ro.