Kvetch

With this premise these two playhouses approached ''Kvetch'' and created a performance perhaps untypical for their respective theatres. When a certain play becomes the longest running comedy in a theatrical centre such as Los Angeles, than it definitely deserves our full attention. ''Kvetch'', a play by Steven Berkoff, one of the best known contemporary British playwrights, a director and an actor, won many awards and recognitions including the latter one. The theatre-goers in Zagreb became acquainted with Berkoff's work through successfull productions of the Exit Theatre, ''Decadence'' and ''East''. This performance, a co-production of the two playhouses: Gavella and Virovitica, calls for an extremely active involvement from the actors, luring them and the audience with its far-fetched situations and lines of potentially high expressivity. The story of the not so happy people and their not so happy lives is at the same time subversive and playful, bitter and sweet, cynical and tender, truthful and theatrical... ''Kvetch'' is a social comedy that puts us in a position, like in every good comedy, to laugh at ourselves.

AWARDS:
2006, 30th Days of Satire
- the ''Sabrija Biser'' award for best young actor in a successfully performed role of character comedy

''Kvetch undoubtedly showed that there are no ''big'' and ''small theatres – let's hope that the co-operation of general managers Stazić and Hajoš will serve as an inspiring example to the Croatian theatrical panorama.'' (Olga Vujović, ''Glas Slavonije'')

''The fact that a theatre in Zagreb staged a play where two heterosexuals recognize their own homosexuality in one another, then realize it without any sign of 'perversity' of this lust and where the main female character leaves her spouse and finds her own sexual pleasure despite the fact her breast has been amputated is in itself a cultural capital and a public paradigm of courage as therapy for the most diverse psychosomatic difficulties.'' (Nataša Govedić, ''Novi list'')

''Berkoff wonderfully showed what everybody's thinking about when they smile politely and nod to their co-speakers, how many lies and deceits there are in the most intimate of moments.'' (Mirjana Vodopić, ''Virovitički list'')

''The director, Dražen Ferenčina, with his prudent directing and refined co-operation with his cast, the qualities usually ignored by many notorious directors, showed once again that he is one of the rare people who promise a better future for the Croatian theatre.'' (Andrija Tunjić, ''Vjesnik'')

''First of all by choosing an excellent play, then with the chioce of the space where the play was going to be performed (Gavella Theatre's Atrium Stage) and finally with great casting... Ferenčina made 'Kvetch' his best theatrical work yet.

...
'Kvetch' was a success both conceptualy and performatively: the matrix of fear is squeezed through, with equal persuasiveness, the comis, the ironic, the tragic and the grotesque... The exceptional harmony of the five-member cast has been achieved by focusing firmly on oneself (''on the two selves!''), as well as by focusing on the co-play with the others.'' (Dubravka Lampalov, ''Vijenac'')