About

Kriszta Székely was born in Budapest. She was trained as a classical ballet dancer, but in her twenties instead of going on with her ballet career, she quit the National Opera and opened a bar in Laos and spent four years in Asia also participating in several projects. After returning to Budapest, she started her Stage Director MA training in the University of Drama and Film. Since her graduation in 2016, she is a resident director of Katona József Theatre. In her work Székely is deeply dedicated to intense collaboration with the ensemble and the creative team, renewed and rewritten representation of classical plays, creating new contemporary narratives, discovering unusual territories of theatre art and speaking about politically important issues, such as position of women, or the effect of socially constructed roles on a person’s life. Her permanent collaborator is writer/dramaturg Ármin Szabó-Székely. She is a regular guest director at the National Opera and the National Operetta Theatre as well. She was a head of acting class and a DLA student in the University of Drama and Film from 2017 until she quit due to the politically forced overtake of the university in 2021. She is member of the Arts Council of the Katona and also associate director of the Teatro Stabile Torino. Székely was on the list of The bravest Hungarians made by Forbes magazine for speaking up openly and loudly for LGBTQ rights and against spreading homophobia and homophobic laws in Hungary.

Awards

National Theatre Festival 

best director 2018 - Nora, Christmas at the Helmers

best director 2019 - Caucasian Chalk Circle

Theatre Critics Award

best director 2018 - Caucasian Chalk Circle

best new talent 2018

best director 2019 - Platonov

Open Air Theatre Festival 

best director 2022 - Seagull

Forbes

New comer on the list of the 10 most influential women in Hungarian Culture

2nd on the list of the politically brave Hungarians

Festivals/Tours

National Theatre Festival Selection 2018- Nora, Christmas at the Helmer’s

National Theatre Turin 2019-Nora, Christmas at the Helmer’s

National Theatre Oradea 2019-Nora, Christmas at the Helmer’s

National Theatre Festival Selection 2019, Platonov

(Covid/online) Lessingtage, Germany 2021 - Nora, Christmas at the Helmer’s

Reflex Festival Romania 2023 - Hedda Gabler

National Theatre Turin - Hedda Gabler

Arayana Festival, China 2023 - Hedda Gabler

Richard III tour in Italy  Switzerland

Milano-Elfo Theatre

Lugano - LAC Theatre

Bressanone - Regional Theatre

Bolzano - Community Theatre

Casale Monferato - Regional Theatre

Pavia - Fraschini Theatre

Trento - Community Theatre

Modena - Storchi Theatre

Padova - Verdi Theatre

Roma - Quitino Theatre