Synopsis

Romania, before, during, and after the 1989 revolution

As the lambada’s sultry rhythm fills the air, Florina and Radu’s wedding celebration teeters on the knife-edge between joy and chaos. The newlyweds sway, their eyes locked in a mixture of love and uncertainty, while around them, a tempest of conflicting ideologies threatens to tear apart the fragile tapestry of post-revolution Romania. In the corner, Gabriel struggles to dance on his crutch, a stark reminder of the bullets that shattered both his body and his faith in change. Meanwhile, Lucia finds herself caught between the familiar warmth of her family and the forbidden allure of Ianoş, the Hungarian whose very presence ignites old ethnic tensions.

Churchill’s play pulsates with the raw energy of a nation reborn, its scenes shifting like fever dreams between harsh reality and surreal interludes. The play’s structure mimics the disorientation of rapid social upheaval, with characters reading from phrasebooks in a darkly comic chorus that underscores the absurdity of their new world. As the wedding party descends into a maelstrom of accusations and revelations, the lines between victim and oppressor blur. The ghost of Ceauşescu’s regime lingers like a bad hangover, while the promise of democracy proves as intoxicating – and potentially poisonous – as the wine flowing freely at the celebration. Through it all, Churchill’s razor-sharp dialogue crackles with wit and fury, forcing us to confront the messy, often contradictory nature of revolution and the human heart.