Humility towards the theatre and its masters in her costume designs – From sketches to premieres and theatrical exhibitions

Every step of Tordai Hajnal’s career has been – and continues to be – guided by strong intuition, sincere emotion and the sheer joy of creation. Over the course of several decades, the acclaimed costume designer has developed a legendary, deeply subjective relationship with the creators and collaborators of the performances she has helped to bring to life, forged through the shared process of artistic creation.

Costume design is an exceptionally distinctive genre, founded on an unconditional relationship of trust with the actor who wears the costume. It is an applied art form, as a powerful theatrical performance can only come into being through close collaboration with the director, the set designer, and the performers – actors and opera singers alike – who embody the characters on stage. For this reason, alongside drawing skills, material knowledge and visual sensitivity, Hajnal Tordai has always needed a high degree of empathy and an openness to collective thinking in order to truly find her place within the theatrical world. The theatre has become almost a second skin to her – an inescapable garment, the defining character of her very being.

Her artistic inclination was inherited from her great-grandfather, who was a founder and teacher of the Arad School of Painting. She continued drawing throughout her secondary school years and even organised regular exhibitions of her thematic drawings in her parental home, pinning them densely across the walls. Although she originally intended to become a painter, the stage of theatre and opera cast its spell over her; in her own words, the theatre quite literally “absorbed” her. “The moral standard I learned at the Opera House has accompanied – and continues to accompany – me in all my work,” she emphasised (from Hajnal Tordai’s induction speech, Magyar Művészeti Akadémia – Hungarian Academy of Arts, 12 September 2014). The painterly vision and extraordinary creativity of designer Gábor Forray played a decisive role in shaping her professional path as a costume designer. Forray worked as a scholarship holder alongside Gusztáv Oláh, and through their designs Hajnal was able to master the artistic craft at the highest level.

Her design methodology, rooted in the expressive tools of the visual arts, was shaped by the decorative design foundations acquired at the Álmos Jaschik Álmos Jaschik Secondary Grammar School of Applied Arts, and further enriched by the intuitively driven approach of the István Szőnyi Free School of Fine Arts in Zebegény. Together, these experiences encouraged her to select and employ the finest materials with particular sensitivity. The creation of colour harmony and the characterisation of figures through costume have always constituted a fundamental challenge for her in shaping garments and accessories. Alongside her work in stage design, she was also active as an independent visual artist at the Summer Free School of Fine Arts. It was here that her small-scale sculptures were created, such as Csámpás (The Bow-Legged Figure), as well as her pencil and chalk drawings, among which the best known is Önarckép (Self-Portrait). Her oeuvre from this period also includes oil pastel works, notably Szentendre and the Szentes tájképei (Landscapes of Szentes).

In her first design commission for the opera stage, for the world premiere of Ferenc Szabó’s new Hungarian music drama Légy jó mindhalálig (Be Faithful Unto Death), Hajnal Tordai was required to create more than forty costumes, carefully coordinated with the set designs of Péter Makai and the directorial concept of András Mikó. She reread the libretto repeatedly, listened to the opera attentively, and engaged in long discussions about the director’s vision, producing countless sketches and consulting closely with the performers. When necessary, she conjured velvet from paper, fashioned jewellery from painted pebbles, and created cloaks from upholstery fabric. When the visual budget was tight, she was capable of imagining wonders even from materials treated almost as waste. Through colours and forms, she articulated emotions and the network of relationships between characters, always in accordance with the dramatic content of the work. In her stage designs, she does not paint on canvas but rather on the stage itself, composing with colours, lace and jewellery, magical draperies, and unique hats and headpieces. The interrelations between atmosphere and meaning are consistently aligned with the director’s intended message.

The costumes thus coming into being transform the designer into a visual dramaturge of character. Numerous creations of hers were described by the press as the most outstanding achievement of a given premiere (for example, Jézus Krisztus Szupersztár – Jesus Christ Superstar). Costumes are also fundamentally shaped by the rich array of props and accessories that accompany them. As Hajnal maintains an intimate relationship with theatrical objects – being particularly devoted to hats, lace, and handcrafted embroidered bags – she pays exceptional attention to detail. With a thorough knowledge of period dress and an awareness of contemporary fashion of the era depicted, while also drawing upon her own unique treasury of materials, she has on many occasions been greeted by an applauding audience even after the performance. And yet, she employs no extraordinary techniques: her sketches are created with chalk, felt-tip pens, or pencil, richly interspersed with fabric samples, offering clearly articulated and easily interpretable realisation ideas for tailors and for the performers inhabiting the costumes.

Her affection for youth theatre and children’s fairy tales manifested itself in numerous productions. She received outstanding professional recognition for the costumes of Cinderella, the musical fairy tale by József Romhányi and Szabolcs Fényes, premiered in Kaposvár in 1990 and in Nyíregyháza in 1991, directed by Gábor Czeizel with stage designs by Róbert Menczel. As the fairy-tale characters were portrayed by artists from two different ensembles, she adapted the magical costumes for the stage twice within a single season. “Every fairy tale is close to my heart, which is why I also love large-scale musical productions – they are the ones I most enjoy designing costumes for,” she remarked. Thereafter, fairy-tale productions followed one another in quick succession, as directors in Budapest and across the country sought to bring Hajnal’s dreamlike costumes to the stage. She designed the characters of A félőlény (Scarycreature) in Szeged and for television; the deeply moving costumes of Oliver! in Győr; Lázár Ervin’s fairy tale A négyszögletű kerek erdő (The Square Around Forest) at the Madách Theatre; A mindent látó királylány (The Princess That Saw Everything) with stage designs by Judit Csanádi at the Arany János Theatre; and The Little Prince at the Karinthy Theatre. From imaginative props to plush figures that functioned both as scarves and toys, she conjured a shimmering dreamworld on stage.

“This is why many children’s productions are also associated with my name. I love fairy-tale exaggeration, when characters reappear enlarged in costumes, and I am fond of stylisation and deliberate distortion. I often apply the latter in productions of other genres as well.” (Anita Szűcs: Jelmezek a fellegekből – Tordai Hajnal ruhakölteményeit a tisztelet hatja át [lit. Costumes from the Clouds – The Spirit of Reverence in Tordai Hajnal’s Costume Poetry], Kisalföld, 1 June 2013.)

The primary analysts of her design practice – and at the same time the true custodians of its success – are the audiences themselves. They greet the visual spectacle, the chromatic exuberance, and the costumes with standing ovations and prolonged applause. “In lace, straw hats, small objects and tiny trinkets, she is unsurpassed. Inexhaustible. For decades now, she has been designing more than just costumes. She collects every conceivable value, every piece of bric-a-brac, every small characteristic or trinket left behind by earlier eras. She dusts them off, repairs them, supplements them, restores them, organises and catalogues them – bringing them back to life once again.”

Among her costume designs for Hungarian feature films, her collaboration with István Bujtor stands out as particularly significant. In 1996, they adapted Jenő Rejtő’s novel Három testőr Afrikában (Three Musketeers in Africa), for which Hajnal Tordai designed the costumes and attire of, among others, Gábor Koncz, István Szilágyi, Zoltán Rátóti, Béla Stenczer, Ferenc Kállai, Gábor Reviczky, Miklós Benedek and Ferenc Bán.

“As the old costume collection of the National Theatre was first surveyed in the Mozsár Street storage facility, Hajni accompanied its worrying fate to a damp warehouse in Kőbánya, protecting it from decay. In the new National Theatre, with the active cooperation of Tamás Jordán, she collects, transports, preserves and cherishes everything from historical actor sketches and column fragments to torsos and personal objects. Hajni is a one-woman cultural mission and a guardian of tradition.”
– from the opening speech by theatre director Márton Karinthy at the exhibition Az Álarcosbáltól a Traviatáig (lit. From Un ballo in maschera to La traviata), BGM, 2013, curated by Tímea Turnai
(http://szinhaz.hu/kulissza/52056-az-alarcosbaltol-a-traviataig-tordai-hajnal-jelmezeibol-nyilt-kiallitas)

A distinctive feature of her inherently ephemeral art lies in the fact that while a painter condenses their message into a single portrait or landscape, the design process generates numerous sketches for a single gesture or costume – and, depending on the number of performers, even several hundred for a single production. Among these, some detach themselves from the theatrical creative process and begin an independent life as autonomous works of art, even though this was never their original purpose. This phenomenon was particularly evident in the costumes she designed for the Hungarian State Opera House in the 1970s, since, unlike in spoken theatre, here it is not only the individual performers’ attire but also the costumes of the entire chorus that must be conceived for the stage – complete with individualised characters, coherent colour schemes, and a careful consideration and application of the visual impact of mass movement on stage. For her, costume is not merely clothing, but something more: a sign and a signal, capable of conveying meanings so powerful that they can fill the entire space, at times almost becoming scenery themselves within a lighting-enhanced stage environment.

In 1996, Hajnal Tordai received the award for Best Costume Design at the 15th National Theatre Festival of Hungary for her costumes created for the Nyíregyháza production of George Bernard Shaw’s Saint Joan, directed by István Verebes. Following meticulous historical costume research, and in order to convey a sense of absolute purity, she designed monochrome white costumes in harmony with the stage set. Only Joan’s costume departed from this scheme: in accordance with the director’s concept, it was given a pale blue tone. “The greatest strengths of the costumes are the headpieces. The stylised headdresses refer convincingly to the historical period, the wearer’s rank and, at the same time, their character. Equally successful are the various crocheted garments worn by the soldiers, symbolising the metal chain mail of medieval knightly armour. The most amusing prop, however, is King Charles’s crown made of small white scraps of paper.” (Katalin Saád’s review, Színház, June 1996, pp. 39–42.) Hajnal Tordai also collaborated extensively with István Verebes at the Radnóti Stage, working together on numerous productions (László Márton: Lepkék a kalapon [lit. Butterflies on the Hat], world premiere, 1987; Péter Kárpáti: Szingapúr, végállomás [lit. Singapore, Final Stop], 1987; Shaw: Saint Joan, 1988; Chekhov: Three Sisters, 2002). Within the creative community of the Radnóti Theatre, her collaborations with director Péter Valló were likewise of decisive importance, resulting in several notable productions (Baltuanikas: Ábrándok [lit. Reveries], 1987; Shakespeare: Julius Caesar, 1988; Lajos Bíró: Hotel Imperial, 1989). During this creative period, she also had the opportunity to work with directors who represented a contemporary, experimental approach to theatre history, including László Babarczy (Shaw: Pygmalion, 1990) and János Ács (Molière: The Imaginary Invalid, 1991).

In recent years, alongside design work, art collecting and the processing, curation and thematic presentation of theatrical relics have assumed an increasingly important role in Hajnal Tordai’s professional trajectory. This activity is of outstanding significance at the most important gathering of the Hungarian theatre profession, the Pécs National Theatre Festival, as well as at the Bálványos Summer University meetings held in Tusnádfürdő.

Drawing on formative experiences preserved from her childhood, Hajnal Tordai’s exhibition-curatorial practice seeks to translate the unrepeatable moments of theatre into a visually organised exhibition format. These carefully constructed displays convey something of the wonder from which they originate: an infinite humility towards theatre and its masters, professional expertise, visual richness, and the unforgettable moments of collective theatrical creation. Her first theatre-history exhibition was organised in 1994 at the Várszínház, drawing on the drawings of one of her mentors. The character studies created by Teréz Nagyajtay, costume designer of the National Theatre, were presented with the cooperation of the National Széchényi Library, offering an exceptional insight into a defining chapter of Hungarian theatrical heritage.

From 2003 onwards, in collaboration with the National Theatre, Tordai Hajnal also introduced herself to a wider audience through the organisation of theatre-history exhibitions, first at the Zikkurat venue and later at the Pécs National Theatre Festival (POSZT). The theatrical exhibitions conceived on the basis of ideas and source research by the Director of the National Theatre, Tamás Jordán, and Tordai Hajnal were subsequently presented at numerous cultural centres across the country. Their work was supported by Klára Kávássy, Head of the Theatre Archive, whose role as facilitator and professional collaborator proved essential. Among the fine art exhibitions, Inst.Álom (2005) and Magyar Képző- és Iparművészet (Hungarian Fine and Applied Arts, 2007) stand out, while the most notable textile-history exhibitions included Hét titok a textil körül (Seven Secrets Around Textiles), Szentivánéj (Midsummer Night), Színterek textilművészete (The Textile Art of Performance Spaces), and Arc-állások (Positions of the Face, 2006). The exhibitions held at the Zikkurat building each year focused on the work of a distinguished actor, a segment of the theatre profession, or a fine art workshop. Among these thematic presentations, the Fruzsina Nagy – Edit Szűcs exhibition (2008) deserves particular mention. In 2009, based on Hajnal Tordai’s curatorial concepts and realised with the participation of the National Theatre, a number of significant and gap-filling exhibitions were created, including Renesz-e-Ánsz and Kortárs képzőművészet a színházban (Contemporary Fine Art in the Theatre). These exhibitions featured selected works by, among others, Arnold Grosch, Margit Balla and Pál Kő.

In 2009, alongside her exhibitions, Hajnal Tordai also served on the professional jury responsible for selecting the competition programme of the Pécs National Theatre Festival.

At the Pécs National Theatre Festival, the presentation of newly uncovered sources of theatre history continued. Each year the organisers mounted one or two actor portrait exhibitions (devoted to Mari Törőcsik, Gyula Bodrogi, Ferenc Bessenyei, Ferenc Kállai, Piroska Molnár, and Erzsi Máthé), alongside presentations of the work of theatre designers (Balázs Horesnyi, István Szlávik, Györgyi Szakács, Emil Vata, János Mira, Annamária Húros), as well as exhibitions dedicated to theatrical crafts and professions. These included shows on stage jewellery; Szintézis – Jelmezek és divat (Synthesis – Costumes and Fashion); Dívák és kalapok (Divas and Hats); Jelmezfestés – Osváth Ildikó (Costume Painting – Ildikó Osváth); and Cipészek – Csodacipők (Shoemakers – Miracle Shoes). From the history of itinerant theatre, through nineteenth-century Hungary, and via the architectural history of the National Theatre, these exhibitions also represented the art of twentieth-century theatre practitioners. The projects were supported by OSZMI – Országos Színháztörténeti Múzeum és Intézet (Hungarian Theatre Museum and Institute), MMA – Magyar Művészeti Akadémia (Hungarian Academy of Arts), and POSZT – Pécsi Országos Színházi Találkozó (Pécs National Theatre Festival), between 2013 and 2015.

The highly successful, imaginative, and richly documented historical exhibitions were also presented at the Bálványos Summer University in Tusnádfürdő. The conceptual originator and organiser of the exhibitions was Hajnal Tordai; the compilation of sources, images, manuscripts, and audio materials was undertaken by theatre historian Tamás Gajdó; and the exhibition design was created by graphic designer Tibor Juhász. The exhibition entitled BÁB-EL, devoted to the history of puppet-making and puppet design, and featuring a curated selection of works by graduating puppet designers of the Hungarian University of Fine Arts, was first shown at POSZT, and subsequently at the gallery of the Hungarian Theatre Museum and Institute. The exhibition was organised by Hajnal Tordai, with the participation of lead lecturer Claudia Orosz and her students.

In her working method, inert materials seem to come vividly to life on stage. Each finished costume is preceded by numerous fittings and rehearsals, with constant variations and refinements, until the most acceptable and most expressive form is achieved for the singer or actor. She does everything possible to ensure that her conception of the costume is understood and embraced by the performers. It is perhaps this exceptional capacity for empathy that has made Hajnal’s art so highly valued by theatres and directors alike, as she consistently takes great care to ensure that, under the spotlight, textiles and colours remain in harmony with the set design, the actor’s character, and the director’s overall vision.

By assigning more emphatic tones to the protagonist and more naturalistic colours and forms to the supporting characters, a coherent textile unity and overall stage visuality is achieved. In her conception, a successful costume functions as a sign – a visual cue that supports and reinforces characterisation. It can only fulfil its purpose if it is not ostentatious, but simply expressive. Among her works, the one dearest to her has always been the one she is currently creating. At the same time, recognition from theatre criticism has also been important to her. In 2001, the musical thriller Jekyll and Hyde was invited to embark on a national tour, and its success and visual impact were compared to Broadway productions in New York. Costumes played a central role: both functional and lavish, they were carefully designed to accommodate the demands of the virtuoso choreography. The production, directed by László Molnár, was subsequently invited to perform in Austria and Germany as well.

She is an avid collector and devoted admirer of objects, props, jewellery, lace and other accessories, including hats – yet she employs them on stage only when they have a clear place and function within the costume, when they are closely connected to the intended meaning, when they are capable of shaping character and of facilitating the work of the actor or singer performing either sung or spoken text.
(from Parallel, ímea Turnai: Párhuzamos életutak – Mesterek és tanítványaik [Parallel Life Paths – Masters and Their Students], December 2013)

I would most gladly conclude this career portrait, this story of mine, in the manner of a fairy tale. Once upon a time there came a young and beautiful princess who, with her fair hair, diligence and kindness, conquered the world of the stage. Supporting the smallest and the very smallest theatres, as well as newly forming productions and ensembles, often through her own offerings and frequently without any financial remuneration, she gradually transformed over the course of decades – through her costumes, her collections and her ideas – into an indispensable, much-loved “theatre grandmother”. From costumes to exhibitions, from safeguarding heritage to guiding the professional paths of younger generations, every essential task seems to fall within her sphere. It is no coincidence that her name has rightly entered the national professional spotlight.

In 2014, as a member and academician of the Hungarian Academy of Arts, she delivered her induction speech entitled “Mentés a molyos időkből” (lit. Saving from Moth-Eaten Times). Alongside her work as a designer, exhibition curator, educator and theatre-history curator, she revealed a further facet of her activity in 2016. She became a key supporter of the first volume devoted to theatre and costume history, which presents some of the most compelling historical and contemporary costumes integrated into and processed within the national public collections (Tímea Turnai: Mesélő jelmezek [lit. Storytelling Costumes], OSZMI, 2016). Yet she is not only a creator, guardian and mediator of cultural values: through her activities she has also sought to introduce the major turning points of Hungarian theatrical life to the widest possible international audience. In an organisational capacity, she supported the presentation in Germany of the Operetta & Musical Theatre’s production of Kálmán Imre’s Csárdáskirálynő (The Csárdás Princess), marking its 100th performance. The event was opened and supported by Gábor Tordai-Lejkó, Consul General of Munich.

In February 2016, Hungarian Television broadcast a portrait film about Hajnal Tordai, produced on commission from the Hungarian Academy of Arts. The film was directed by János Domokos in 2013.

The costume designer is held in equally high esteem by the creative communities of the Hungarian State Opera, the National Theatre, the Hungarian Theatre, the Győr National Theatre and the Karinthy Theatre, who regard her as a master artist working with humility and guided by a strong moral compass. Hajnal Tordai is a recipient of the Gold Cross of Merit of the Republic of Hungary and the Jászai Mari Prize, holds the title of Merited Artist, is a full member and academician of the Hungarian Academy of Arts, and teaches at the Department of Scenography of the Hungarian University of Fine Arts.

As a contributor to the enrichment of our national public collections, she has played a key role in identifying, preserving and interpreting stage designs by Judit Gombár, set designs by Miklós Forray, drawings by Tivadar Márk, relics associated with Gizi Bajor, costumes and hats designed by Eric Vogel, sketches by Péter Makai, as well as the librettos of contemporary Hungarian dramas. For nearly three decades, I have had the privilege of regarding her as my mentor. For her, the exploration, professional processing, documentation and presentation of the sources of Hungarian scenography and stage visual culture – through albums and exhibitions – are just as important as they are for me as a theatre historian. She deserves profound respect and gratitude for her value-preserving and creative activity.

The author is a theatre historian and Head of the Scenography Collections at the Hungarian Theatre Museum and Institute (OSZMI).

[2016]