Ágnes Takács: Zoltán Rátóti, Actor

Arriving at Fulfilment

“I feel that impatience is one of my basic traits – I want everything immediately, and yet the important events of my life – my lives – have always forced me to be patient. I had to wait, sometimes for years, until I arrived at fulfilment from dream and daydreaming.”
– claimed Zoltán Rátóti in his induction speech at the Hungarian Academy of Arts on 19 September 2014. The circumstances that compelled patience have accompanied his career from the very beginning.

At an exceptionally young age, he was admitted at the first attempt to the Academy of Drama and Film in Budapest (today: University of Theatre and Film Arts in Budapest), joining the class of István Horvai (renowned Hungarian theatre director and professor). During these formative years, a cohesive community developed among the extraordinarily talented students.[1] With their acting diplomas in hand, they thought about the future together, and Rátóti trusted in the strength of their community, hoping they might begin their careers side by side.[2] However, reality overruled their dreams: part of the class was contracted by the Vígszínház (Comedy Theatre of Budapest), while Rátóti was assigned to the József Attila Theatre. Even at this early stage, Horvai’s parting words reminded the actor of the importance of patience.[3]

The József Attila Theatre cast the young Rátóti in successful productions directed by István Iglódi. At first, he played Miklós opposite Mari Törőcsik in the operetta A régi nyár (The Gay Hussars). He managed the task with success, and his performance was received most positively by the critics.[4] The theatre at that time drew on his musicality and agility for roles in musical theatre, though he was also entrusted with a dramatic lead – Jim Mahoney in Bertolt Brecht’s Rise and Fall of the City of Mahagonny, again directed by Iglódi. Later, portraying the Earl of Richmond in Richard III, he encountered Shakespeare’s text, and according to the professional press, he met this challenge as well.

Although critics praised his performances, and he had the opportunity to learn from great actors season by season, Rátóti nevertheless felt that the roles he was given at the József Attila Theatre did not allow him to reveal the full measure of his talent, nor did they place him sufficiently in the mainstream of theatrical life.[5]

This desire to prove himself was also evident in his first solo evening, Párbeszéd a sötétben (lit. Dialogue in the Dark), composed of works by Sándor Csoóri (contemporary Hungarian poet and essayist) – including love poems, prose excerpts, and Kerekasztal-beszélgetés a békákról (Round Table Discussion on Frogs) – accompanied by music by contemporary Hungarian composer György Selmeczi. Critics noted not only the sensitivity of the selection but also how authentically Csoóri’s words resonated in Rátóti’s voice. The poet’s lines, chosen as the motto – “száz felé indulásom: / egyetlen indulás csak” (lit. “my hundredfold departures / are but a single departure”) – were taken as a kind of self-interpretation.[6]

Despite his success in light, romantic roles, the young actor began to feel confined by the “bonvivant” label. Although he had nowhere to go yet, he resolved to depart, so in 1989, Zoltán Rátóti left the company of the József Attila Theatre.[7]

Rátóti worked for a short period as a freelancer before joining the company of the Csiky Gergely Theatre in Kaposvár in 1990. Although his time at the Kaposvár theatre was brief, it proved highly formative for the actor, significantly shaping his understanding of the rehearsal process. His previously admitted, tense approach to roles was eased by the experimental working methods of the company. By his own account, with the help of director László Babarczy and actor-director Zoltán Bezerédi, Rátóti truly learned to rehearse with abandon, free from the fear of errors.[8]

During his season in Kaposvár, Rátóti played Higgins in My Fair Lady, directed by László Babarczy. Eager to escape being pigeonholed as a bonvivant, he embraced the opportunity to portray this character role. Yet despite the relaxed atmosphere of experimentation that characterised the regional “elite theatre,” larger dramatic roles did not come his way, and after one season he left the company.

In 1991, responding to the invitation of Tibor Csizmadia, the artistic director, he joined the company of the Budapesti Kamaraszínház (Budapest Chamber Theatre). The production of A fehér méreg (lit. The White Poison), directed by András Dér, provided Rátóti with the chance to show a new side of himself on stage compared with his previous roles. In terms of his career, the production was significant despite receiving neither particularly favourable reviews nor did it remain in the repertoire for a long time.[9]

The Budapest Chamber Theatre offered not only more elaborately developed characters than Rátóti had been accustomed to, but also the chance to encounter exciting and diverse directorial concepts. He portrayed Hector in Troilus and Cressida (1992), directed by József Ruszt, and played Captain Macheath in The Threepenny Opera (1993), staged by Tibor Csizmadia. During this period, he also worked with renowned actor-directors Miklós Gábor, Róbert Alföldi, and Tamás Jordán. His successful portrayals of character roles were recognised not only by the critics but also by his first professional distinction: in 1993 Zoltán Rátóti was awarded the Jászai Mari Prize (state award for theatrical arts in Hungary).

His performance as Algernon Moncrieff in The Importance of Being Earnest[10] was especially significant in his career, since it was this play that he later chose to direct as his first production at the Szigligeti Színház (Szigligeti Theatre) in Szolnok.[11]

In pursuit of greater freedom, he left the Budapest Chamber Theatre in 1996 and once again became a freelance actor. “I gave back the roles, and I believe that in a theatre one cannot do that without consequence. (…) If I were a theatre director, I too would find it very difficult to tolerate, for as a member of the company it is the actor’s bounden duty to play what is assigned. I left also because I did not wish to wait for the punishment of no longer being cast in roles.”[12]

Freelancing no longer carries with it a sense of uncertainty; on the contrary, it brings with it opportunities for roles and encounters with directors with whom Rátóti had not previously had the chance to work. He performs at the Játékszín (Playhouse Theatre), the Madách Theatre, and the Radnóti Theatre in Budapest, as well as the Szigligeti Színház (Szigligeti Theatre) in Szolnok. He rehearses with directors such as Károly Makk, Imre Kerényi, Péter Valló and György Schwajda.

The focal point of the 1997/1998 season is undoubtedly Shakespeare’s The Merchant of Venice, which he rehearses with two different directors and in which he plays two roles. He first portrays Bassanio in György Schwajda’s production at the Szigligeti Theatre in Szolnok, then, in an unconventional casting, he embodies Shylock in Róbert Alföldi’s adaptation at the Tivoli Theatre in Budapest. The latter production receives highly positive critical acclaim.[13] Rátóti’s Shylock is so convincing that in the same season he is awarded the Színikritikusok Díja (Theatre Critics’ Award) for Best Actor in a Leading Role.[14]

In 2002, Rátóti once again commits himself to a theatre company, becoming a member of the newly established National Theatre. He is cast in the title role of Peer Gynt under the direction of Kai Johnsen, thereby fulfilling dream role (2002) cherished since the beginning of his career. The character of Peer Gynt represents something akin to an artistic creed for Rátóti; he not only draws attention to this during the rehearsal process but later structures his induction speech at the Hungarian Academy of Arts around the ideas of Ibsen’s drama. The parallel between Peer, searching for himself, and the actor searching for himself, forms the foundation of Rátóti’s character interpretation. “Peer spends his entire life seeking himself, searching for what we are called to do and what our purpose is. As an individual, it is also important for me to consider what we recognise of our mission, and what we accomplish of it. We can approach the play in the most relevant way if we ask: to what extent are we lost by ourselves?”[15]

The National Theatre not only fulfils his dream role but, through its company, gives prestige to the years he spends there.[16] Rátóti takes part in important, defining productions of the theatre. Thus, he portrays Ivan “Homeless” Nikolaevich Ponyrev in János Szász’s staging of The Master and Margarita. Here, Rátóti works once more with Tamás Jordán, taking on the role of the Civilian in Kornél Hamvai’s adaptation of Ferenc Sánta’s novel Az ötödik pecsét (The Fifth Seal, 2006).

As a guest performer, he continues to accept invitations, with these important encounters offering new stages in his artistic development. He plays Fyodor Protasov in The Living Corpse, directed by Géza Tordy (2006), and once again portrays Higgins in My Fair Lady, in a production staged by Frigyes Funtek (2008).

In his independent artistic search, his meeting with writer János Háy proves equally significant; they find a common voice in the stage adaptation of Háy’s short story collection A bogyósgyümölcskertész fia (lit. The Berry-Grower’s Son) (2004). This results in a genuinely fruitful collaboration, as in 2007 another solo performance – Házasságon innen és túl (lit. Before and Beyond Marriage) is created. Rátóti proves to be an exceptionally authentic interpreter of Háy’s texts, a fact also acknowledged by the professional press.[17]

In 2010, Zoltán Rátóti successfully lands the position of director at the Csiky Gergely Theatre, underlining the importance of the season he had spent in Kaposvár at the beginning of his career. Rátóti’s proposal demonstrates that he regards the theatre as an organic whole, considering as one of his principal duties the appreciation of invested effort and the responsible handling of talent. He formulates his responsibility, as director, not only for the ensemble as a community but also for the individuals within it. He places the actor at the centre of theatrical work, regarding the responsible stewardship of artistic talent as a matter of key importance.[18] These are not only the thoughts of an actor but of an experienced man of the theatre. Rátóti’s appointment is extended in 2014 as the director of the Kaposvár theatre, and in 2015 he is honoured with the title Érdemes művész (Artist of Merit, a Hungarian state award for outstanding performers).

From dreams to realisation, the journey requires patience combined with a constant, courageous search – a point emphasised by Zoltán Rátóti in his often-quoted induction speech at the Hungarian Academy of Arts. “How strange it is: I was searching for myself in a role of a person eternally searching for himself, one who continually strays from his path and mistakes his true identity for his ego. I measured myself through the virtues and weaknesses of the role. The examination of the role is at the same time the self-examination of the actor. The questions repeat themselves until the answer is born: what is man, what is the ‘self’, can one truly be oneself, what is my vocation, who am I?” [2017]

[1] Attila Bardóczy, Enikő Eszenyi, Attila Kaszás, László Méhes, Judit Rónaszegi, Péter Rudolf, and Zsuzsa Töreky. (http://szfe.hu/hu/osztalyok/osztaly-adatlap/193)

[2] “(…) I would like a long-cherished shared dream of ours to come true: our class, that often-mentioned good community, wishes to work together. Not everything is in place yet, but something can already be glimpsed in the distance… We wish to perform together. Where, when, what – we still do not know for certain. But we want it.” Zoltán Hortobágyi: A pálya elején – Világot jelentő deszkák (lit. At the Beginning of the Career – The Boards that Mean the World), Nógrád, 7 August 1983.

[3] “At the end of the academy, he let me go with the advice that I must be patient. At the time that hurt my feelings, for I was a freshly graduated young actor, and I could not understand why I should have to wait. But Horvai knew my temperament well, and he knew that time would be needed before I was found by the roles suited to me. Then I rebelled against him a great deal, but looking back I am grateful that he taught me perseverance.” Irén Hermann: Horvai “Rosta” bácsi. Tanítványai Horvai Istvánról (lit. Uncle Horvai „Rosta". His Students on István Horvai), Zsöllye, January 2003.

[4] “There is not a spark of embarrassment in his performance. (…) He skilfully restrains the extreme situations lest they should become strident. (…) Zoltán Rátóti, a graduating student, plays his very first leading role at the József Attila Theatre, as the somewhat clumsy adolescent baron in A régi nyár (The Gay Hussars).” György Kriszt: Magas a mérce… (lit. The Standard is High…), Pesti Műsor, 4 May 1983.

[5] “In retrospect I see that the József Attila Theatre was a good school; elsewhere I probably would not have received so many tasks and such demands. (…) Yet I was aware: there one had to run the same lap twice to be noticed. But I was able to play with magnificent partners – Mari Törőcsik, Dezső Garas, Péter Andorai – and that inspired me for three or four years.” Judit Katalin Magyar: Önmagamnak megfelelni – beszélgetés Rátóti Zoltánnal (lit. Living up to Myself – A Conversation with Zoltán Rátóti). Színház, June 1993.

[6] “A carefully composed programme, the ascending arc of which elevated both emotion and intellect alike. It was met with prolonged applause in gratitude. (…) Zoltán Rátóti gifted us with eloquence, with the mature rendering of Csoóri’s poetry, and with songs performed in a pleasant singing voice. Surely he can identify with the two lines borrowed from the poet that he chose as his motto: ‘…my hundredfold departures / are but a single departure.’” Pest Megyei Hírlap, 28 October 1987.

[7] “(…) In my fourth year already I played a fine bonvivant role alongside Mari Törőcsik in A régi nyár. I greatly enjoyed it, but afterwards for a long time I could not escape from the pigeonhole labelled ‘dashing positive hero’. When, after six years, I was still playing honest young men and truth-telling shepherds, I left.” Andrea Stuber: A néhai igazmondó juhász (lit. The Late Truth-telling Shepherd), Népszava, 16 April 1993.

[8] “(…) It was really in Kaposvár that I learned how to rehearse. Before, I was tense, always wanting to live up to something. In rehearsals I busied myself with all sorts of things – primarily my own vanity. It was in Kaposvár that I realised a rehearsal need not be spectacular. I was always ashamed when something went wrong; from László Babarczy and Zoltán Bezerédi I learned that one may also err, one cannot always score a perfect ten. This ‘excursion’ opened doors and flood-gates in me that had previously been closed. I was able to shed my shame, and dared to try even loose, wholly inappropriate things, for there was no punishment for it. These were euphoric rehearsals, if I can put it this way. This does not mean that I have not had doubts or tensions ever since, but it was an important opening.” Judit Katalin Magyar: Önmagamnak megfelelni – beszélgetés Rátóti Zoltánnal (lit. Living up to Myself – A Conversation with Zoltán Rátóti). Színház, June 1993.

[9] “It did not bring us a resounding success, for we performed it only fourteen times, but here I could be entirely different from before: a stubbled, drunken, callous brute.” Ibid.

[10] Oscar Wilde: The Importance of Being Earnest, 7 January 1995, Budapest Chamber Theatre in Józsefváros, dir. Miklós Gábor.

[11] Oscar Wilde: The Importance of Being Earnest, 1 December 2000, Szigligeti Theatre (Szolnok).

[12] “Shylock in Shakespeare’s The Merchant of Venice – on a Hungarian stage – has perhaps never been so moving, so thought-provoking, so shocking as in the portrayal by Zoltán Rátóti at the Tivoli Theatre.” Gábor Bóta: Egy színész két szerepben (lit. One Actor in Two Roles). Magyar Hírlap, 8 January 1998.

[13] István Módos: Nincs recept egyetlen szerephez sem (lit. There is No Recipe for Any Role). Képes Európa, 16 September 1998.

[14] https://kritikusceh.wordpress.com/szinikritikusok-dija/19971998-2/ (25 March 2016).

[15] Éva Szederkényi: Sejtések és megmérettetések (lit. Intuitions and Ordeals). Heti Válasz, 4 October 2002.

[16] “The company possesses such resources that for several seasons the sequence of brilliant productions could be assured. For me it is a distinction to be a member of the National Theatre. (…)” Attila Ditzendy: Színész a múlt századból (lit. An Actor from the Previous Century). Magyar Nemzet, 18 October 2002.

[17] “A professional actor, who, in accordance with the demands of the century, knows how to win the audience and gain their support.” Napló, 27 December 2005.

[18] “The theatre is the workshop of the human soul. This community operates and creates a performance according to the laws of an ancient guild. Everyone who takes part in a performance belongs to the harmonious life of the company: the stage manager, the hairdresser, the tailor, the set painter, the lighting technician, the stagehand, the usher, and the doorman. And at the centre of this workshop stands the actor. Here the material is the actor. The actor’s material is himself, and for this reason it is indispensable that the work of the actors be planned years ahead. Without investment no result can be expected, therefore I regard the responsible stewardship of acting talent as the key to establishing a genuine theatrical community, and so that after some years we may proudly say that we have created a theatre of national standing.” Zoltán Rátóti’s director’s proposal for the Csiky Gergely Theatre: http://kapos.hu/static/dokumentumtar/0000000044 (p. 5) (25 March 2016).

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