No End of Blame

Synopsis

Carpathian Mountains during WWI, Budapest, Soviet Russia, and Britain

Bela Veracek, a brilliant Hungarian political cartoonist, navigates the turbulent political landscapes of Hungary, the Soviet Union, and Britain, steadfast in his commitment to truth and artistic integrity.

The narrative begins with a harrowing depiction of the horrors of World War I in the Carpathian Mountains, where Bela is nearly executed by his own men. This brutal start sets the tone for the relentless challenges he faces as he moves through different regimes and countries. In Budapest, Bela, along with his friend Grigor and his wife Ilona, escapes the rigid confines of traditional art schools to the seemingly liberating environment of Lenin’s Russia. However, the initial promise of artistic freedom quickly gives way to the harsh realities of Soviet censorship.

Bela’s journey continues to Britain, where he confronts new forms of censorship under Churchill’s wartime government and later, the commercial pressures of working for a newspaper. Throughout the play, Barker’s writing intertwines philosophical discourse with sharp, vernacular dialogue, crafting a narrative that is both intellectually rigorous and emotionally resonant. The play critiques the ways in which governments and institutions attempt to control and suppress artistic expression, making a powerful statement about the importance of artistic freedom.