| Address | Hevesi Sándor square 4 |
|---|---|
| Location | Budapest, Pest county, Hungary |
| Type | Theatre |
| Built | 1897 |
| Opened | 1897 |
| Capacity | 665 |
| Website | Magyar Színház |
The Magyar Theatre is a theatre operating in Budapest, Hungary. Opening in 1897, the theatre played a significant role in the city's theatrical life. After a major reconstruction in 1966, the building functioned as the temporary home for the Hungarian National Theatre for more than three decades. After 2000, the theatre regained its old name, and is the current home to the company of the Pesti Magyar Theatre.
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The Magyar Theatre, designed by Adolf Láng, and founded by the Rákosi-Beöthy family was built in 1897 in the then-suburban Izabella (today Hevesi Sándor) square. The premiere was on 16 October 1897. The two-storied auditorium had 996 seats.
In the first years, the venue mainly hosted opera pieces, then after the first decade, converted to a serious prosaic theatre. By 1907-1918 the Magyar Theatre's repertoire consisted of contemporary Hungarian and foreign dramas, supported by the building's small, intimate set-up.
In 1914 the theatre was reconstructed by architect László Vágó. A new main hall had been added, and the number of the seats were increased well over a thousand. Many of the era's most prolific directors worked in the theatre during these years, including László Márkus, János Vaszary or Sándor Hevesi. In 1947, like all of the artistic venues of Budapest, the previously private theatre was nationalized. Between 1946 and 1951 it functioned as the chamber theatre of the National Theatre, and then served as the home of the Madách Theatre (1951-1961), and the Petőfi Theatre (1962-1964).
The building got its current design in the reconstruction of 1964-66, led by Sándor Azbej, to function as a temporary home for the National Theatre. After raising down the old to the supporting walls, the new theatre got two new stories, and was also enlarged by 8m towards the square. This enabled the inclusion of a much larger main hall, and several workshops, costume and furniture storage, 10 new dressing rooms, and an enlarged auditorium. The facade is a relief made of 757 pieces of Zsolnay pirogranite, made by sculptor Gyula Illyés.
Between 1966 and 2000 the theatre was occupied by the company of (and also named) the National Theatre. After 2000, the Pesti Magyar Theatre plays in it. The Sinkovits Imre studio stage with 96 seats was opened in 2001.