The Lock Creaks

The dramaturgy in Martin takes up the "Slovak classic" every year, we can say systematically. The Low Land Slovak Vladimír Hurban Vladimírov (VHV) belongs, no doubt, to the Slovak classic authors, his work is a part of Slovak literature even if it is only looking for its place in literature schoolbooks.

The staging is the third common work of the producer Štefan Korenči, dramaturgist and composer Róbert Mankovecký and artist Jaroslav Valek. After Schisgaľ s Love (Láááska), Becket´s Waiting for Godot VHV is here with his last dramatic work The Lock Creaks. And so the question arises what connects Schisgal, Beckett and Hurban? First of all, the theme or more exactly one market thematic accent – “man as a biological species, whipped by pre-destination, fatality, mysticism”. Somewhere there the common denominator of all three stagings can be found, the common denominator of Korenči´s theatre interest (in stagings outside Martin as well: F. Arrabal – Scooter - Pram, Theatre Korzo' 90; E. Albee - Zoo Story, Meantime (Medzičas).

The designers of The Lock Creaks Štefan Korenči and Róbert Mankovecký shortened and simplified Hurban´s text to a large extent. They concentrated and simplified Hurban´s text to a large extent. They concentrated the theme into one story line, dropped the characters of Niada and Bera, narrowed the conflict to two aspects – a classical conjugal ménage à trois – Tobor, Liana, Pag (analogy with Schisgal´s Love) as the first aspect: the second one is, first of all, Tobor's inner conflict “ego versus alter ego” with a marked reaffirmation of Tobor's alter ego – the character of a mystical locksmith who appears with his three apprentices (one young woman, one in her middle age and one old).

One of the most expressive features of this staging is its artistic component. Jaroslav Valek divided the playing space into two parts – a real one and an irreal one. The creating a bizarre ramp lined with candles.

The accompanying music tries to work in signs. It stresses three significations – large bow areas as an authorized sign of love, vocal motive – sign of alter ego and saxophone motive – sign of society. Tobor, performed by Jan Kožuch, is the most elaborated theatrical character. By its significance and area, it is the greatest dramatic person and this fact is fully used by Kožuch.

In view of its theme and staging The Lock Creaks is a performance designed for an exacting spectator. We hope that it will attract the interest of spectators and critics.

Róbert Mankovecký

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