Az éjjel soha nem érhet véget – Loupe Theatre
A heartfelt reflection on how Loupe Theatre’s independent production offers hope to young people living in deep poverty.
Date: June 10, 2025
Production: Az éjjel soha nem érhet véget (Loupe Theatre)
It is hard to put into words what I am feeling. Growing up in the countryside, I knew exactly what this play was about. I was not raised in deep poverty, and addiction was not present in my family, but I saw, learned, and heard enough to know that this reality is very real for many people. In our home it was natural to talk about these things—and just as natural to help wherever we could.
The story in a nutshell
The play is set in a village marked by deep poverty and addiction. Its protagonist is a once-celebrated football legend who was cast out because of his queerness. When he returns to his hometown, he dedicates his life to lifting local teenagers out of the circumstances that suffocate them.
One of those kids—trying to rebuild himself after drug addiction, with a father just out of prison and an unemployed mother—is a gifted footballer. A manager from a Budapest club notices him and invites him to a trial. That is when the emotional rollercoaster truly begins.
Balanced on hope and heartbreak
The play shows hope, defeat, anger, absence, and fleeting moments of happiness. The boy is talented, yet the emotional and social disadvantages stacked against him knock him down. He loses his one shot and sinks again—but this time he carries the knowledge his coach planted in him. He has to stand up alone. And he does.
A slap you will still feel hours later
By the end, dear spectator, you are hit with such a slap that you will still feel it hours later. Political, social, and public-life remarks pulse through the whole story, yet the main message is saved for the final beats: without solidarity everyone stumbles alone, never moving forward. Yes, that means you, too—even if someone is standing right beside you and you never notice.
This is where the play becomes more than a story: it holds up a mirror. And it does so without being pushy or didactic—just human and honest.
What makes this theatre special?
That is what makes Loupe Theatre’s independent company unique. They do not rely on clichés or the usual dramaturgical panels; instead they reach the audience with creative freedom and real tools. They get through to you, they speak directly to you, and they leave something inside that does not disappear when the applause fades.
A personal closing thought
I have disliked football since I was a child—I often criticised how much money is poured into it—yet for the first time I felt that if football can become a lifeline for kids living in deep poverty, then so be it. Let us pull them out. I still believe education is the key, but if football offers even one chance, then let the ones who need it use it.
And then there is addiction. I cannot grasp the damage these substances cause, nor how few real steps we take to dismantle them. Instead of helping, we often push people even deeper when they are already on the edge. Token measures solve nothing—they only look good in a campaign speech.