At the time of Palárik, Slovakia did not yet have its ethnic Slovak theatre. Yet it did have comedies such as this one. It was a way for Slovaks to grasp the opportunities lend by the Enlightenment and fulfill the ambitions of theatre as the platform for morals on top of entertainment. Palárik saw no conflict in the two challenges. His faith in theatre is contagious. It is informed by the genre of world comedy, whilst it sets out national themes, the idea of national, social and gender tolerance. It is not shy of its idealism; the naïve idyll is source of pure joy. Palárik promotes the ideals of natural lifestyle that stands in contrast to the stylised, ridiculous pretence. Whilst ossification, arrogance and stereotypes are ridiculous, the situation is open to change. Reconciliation is not merely a matter of shaking hands with the enemy, but also a matter of learning and coming to terms with prejudice. Egészégedre!

Runnning time: 2 hrs 50 mins with one interval