“Three generations of one family. One small flat in Budapest. The grandmother is declining to accept a medal of honour as a Holocaust survivor; the daughter needs proof of her Jewish identity to secure a school place for her son in their new home in Berlin; the adult son is seeking out his own identity as a homosexual man. They all have the same questions: can we liberate ourselves from inherited identity ascriptions? When is identity a privilege, when is it a burden? It all depends on the point of view. With Parallax (the term describes the apparent change in the position of an object at different angles of view) the Hungarian director Kornél Mundruczó and his independent company Proton Theater develop an epic family tale and in doing so draw a deeply touching picture of conventions situated between Eastern European Judaism and the LGBT+ community who are enduring innumerable restrictions in Hungary.” (Carmen Hornbostel, dramaturg, Wiener Festwochen)

Parallax premiered in 2024 at the Wiener Festwochen, where it achieved great success with audiences and critics alike. This production of Proton Theatre – founded by Kornél Mundruczó and Dóra Büki – has since toured Europe’s leading festivals and theatres. In 2024, it earned Kornél Mundruczó the Austrian Nestroy Award for Best Director. In 2025, it was nominated for the Premi Ubu – regarded as the ‘Oscar’ of Italian theatre – in the Best Foreign Production category. It will be presented in Hungary for the first time in September 2026. Following I Am Seriously Ludicrous, directed by Gábor Reisz, this is the second production of Proton to be included in the repertoire of Katona József Theatre.

Recommended for ages 18 and over