Cabaret Returns

The curtain has just been lowered at the end of the first cabaret festival which was held at the Histrion Hall under the name “Gumbek's Days”. The event revived the 102-year old cabaret tradition in Croatian theater.

The 102-year old tradition of Croatian cabaret has been revived with “Gumbek's Days”, the first cabaret festival that was successfully organized at the Histrion Hall under the name of the outstanding cabaret star, Mladen Crnobrnja, aka Gumbek (1939 -2000).

Cabaret was once a very popular form of entertainment in Zagreb, but like everywhere else in the world, it has had its ups and downs. It is now making a big comeback. The need for cabaret usually emerges in times of crises and during periods of different political and economic pressures, similar to those that we have been experiencing recently. Different scams and hoaxes are present in today’s world under the guise of globalization; our lives are rife with traumas and frustrations, and the cabaret is again the place where all those negative feelings can be vented. Cabaret is very simple in its form because it does not require the engagement of a big ensemble. All it takes is a text full of irony, sarcasm and cynicism written by a good author and performed by inspired actors whose interpretations will provide a good reflection of the times we live in.

A total of 15 shows, 13 Croatian, one Slovenian and one from Bosnia and Herzegovina, were presented during the “Gumbek’s Days” festival. Judging by the interest of the audiences, cabaret has returned to Zagreb’s stages with style. A panel of judges rewarded the best participants with Gumbek’s statuettes. Arsen Dedić won the best cabaret show prize for his “Arsen Cabaret”. The best actress was Branka Cvitković and the best actor was Adam Končić. Tahir Mujičić won a statuette for his exceptional contribution to the revival of cabaret, while Jasna Bilušić and Tarik Filipović received special awards.