Presented by ATP Trucks & Buses, Night Theater is the event that presents an update of the theatrical norms: the audience is invited to join the actors on a unique journey in the electric bus of the Romanian producer ATP Trucks & Buses. Along this itinerary, the audience will discover the stories of several characters inspired by the testimonies and experiences of Timișoara’s residents. We sat down with Iulia-Victoria Ioana, Andrei Zgăbaia and Darius Zet, the three actors of the show Nocturn, to find out about their experiences in Timișoara and how these influenced the creative process.
Based on real stories of people from Timișoara, the Nocturn show brings together nuanced and sometimes contrasting characters. In the case of Iulia-Victoria Ioana, the actress will play two parts: that of Sofia, a seemingly fearless young woman who feels at home in Timișoara even after dark, and that of Miriam, the ambitious heroine for whom the city is too small, too quiet to accommodate. “I’m a person who gets attached to spaces pretty quickly, especially if they evoke a sense of nostalgia, and in the six years I’ve lived in Timi, I’ve made a lot of memories, formed bonds, and would find it hard to move. On the other hand, there are also times when I feel that my energy and the city’s energy don’t correlate and then the question ≪what would it be like to start from scratch in Bucharest?≫ comes to mind. The two characters were probably born out of this little bipolarity of mine,” the actress confesses.
What does Night Theater actually mean for the general audience? According to the actors, it is first and foremost an opportunity for the audience to become aware of and explore their own experiences and feelings about Timișoara in a creative environment open to debate. “It’s a show that offers surprises. It’s a show that I think can excite the audience and I hope it will. I don’t want them to leave this show with a specific thought, I want them to interpret, through their own experiences, their own feelings, the situations the characters go through,” says actor Darius Zet.
In a broader context, Night Theatre, as an event within The Night-Art Festival, is part of the vast series of projects that will animate Timisoara on the occasion of its European Capital of Culture title in 2023. Actor Andrei Zgăbaia, a native of Timișoara, notes an evolution of the local cultural offer, even in terms of night-time activities, but draws attention to its sustainability: “I think the most noticeable for me and the people who have lived here longer are definitely the festivals. This year if I’m not mistaken we had: The Carnival, District23 ( which brought together 3 festivals), CODRU, and PLAI with very well known artists and a lot of attendees. So yes, it’s definitely an evolution of cultural activities at night, but let’s hope it’s not just something that happens in 2023 and then fades slowly out of the city.”
Nocturn will premiere on 29 September. Curious audience members can take part in this special cultural experience every evening until 8 October. Come and discover the unknown stories of the city on the Bega!
TICKETS HERE
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This project is part of the national cultural program “Timișoara – European Capital of Culture in 2023” and is financed through the Grow Timișoara 2023 program, carried out by the Project Center of Timișoara Municipality, with funds allocated from the state budget, through the budget of the Ministry of Culture.
The Night-Art Festival is presented by George, the first smart banking.
Sponsors: Fan Courier, Iulius Town, ATP Motors, Pepsi
Project partners: Leeds City Council, In-Edu Association Timișoara, German Cultural Center Timișoara, Cluj Cultural Center, West University Timișoara, University of Art and Design Cluj-Napoca, Polytechnic University of Timișoara
Communication partners: Getica OOH, Aushopping galleries, Kiss Fm, Euromedia, Pressone.ro, G4Media.ro, World Wide Print, Daisler Print House, Știri din România, Tion, Express de Banat, IQOOL, Zile și Nopți, Știri de Timișoara, NewsVest, Adevărul, TVR, Radio Timișoara, România Pozitivă, Best of Timișoara