October 23rd, 1956, a revolution started in Hungary, which lasted twelve days. Hungarians fought Soviet troops on the streets, from their homes, and from the Corvin Cinema, the Revolutionary Headquarters. On 4 November 1956 the Soviet Army entered Budapest with tanks, crushed the revolution and ruled the country by force until the fall of the Berlin Wall in 1989. The first building they demolished was the cinema. The uprising led to one of the largest refugee crises of the twentieth century, as a large part of the population left the country. Among them was Deborah Pearson’s grandfather. In a live commentary screening of a 1956 comedy about football, scheduled to premiere at the Corvin Cinema the week of the uprising and cancelled because of it, Deborah Pearson unlocks a surprisingly personal story. A documentary, performed live, the performance runs the length of and is timed alongside the film, using interviews with the exiled screenwriter and people involved with the film to playfully reflect on immigration, suppression, and our personal links with history. History History History is a remarkably delicate meditation on connections and chaos, on how history is at once constructed and out of control, ever-present and irreversible. This is a show for lovers of cinema, and for anyone who has stared at pictures of their ancestors a little too long. The work was created with dramaturgy by Daniel Kitson and outside eye work by Tania El Khoury and Laura Dannequin. It was a House on Fire commission, co-produced by bit teatergarasjen (Norway) and Théâtre Garonne (France). House on Fire is a network of ten European theatres and festivals which in recent years have taken an active interest in claiming a place in public debate on social, environmental and political issues, arguing that artists have a vital role in society and that artistic creation offers a valid source of knowledge and experience. History History History was developed in part at the National Theatre Studio (UK). The performance has been presented in 15 countries on 4 continents and translated into 5 languages. The Portuguese newspaper Público named it one of the ten best performances of 2017.

Credits

Created & performed by: Deborah Pearson

Dramaturgy: Daniel Kitson

Outside eyes: Tania El Khoury, Laura Dannequin

Developed with the support of the National Theatre Studio (UK)

A House on Fire commission, co-produced by Théâtre Garonne (France) and bit teatergarasjen (Norway)

Executive production: Nikos Mavrakis