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gipsy, but decent - rudolf forgács, dániel said

gypsy, but decent

cigány, de rendes

Everyone has heard—and perhaps even said—about someone that “he’s Gypsy, but decent!” Rudi has heard it too. About himself. These three words, meant as a compliment, hold surprisingly deep implications on both a personal and social level. What impact do these three words have? What does it take to overcome our prejudices, and can we ever fully overcome them?

"There should be a Duolingo for Gypsies so we can really learn Hungarian properly. By the way, there are languages on Duolingo that are premium.

I think Hungarian would be one of them. And probably the most expensive one, because it’s one of the hardest languages.

But Gypsies should get a discount, because you borrowed loads of words from the Gypsy language."

Creators

performer:	Rudolf Forgács, Dániel Said
Translation (English):	Dániel Said
premiere:	Trafó, 24 January 2026

Winner of the Stand Up Roma competition by Trafó and Independent Theater Hungary.

trailer

Background

This performance was created as part of the Stand Up Roma open call, a joint project by the Independent Theater Hungary and the Trafó House of Contemporary Arts. The aim of the program was to support new performing arts productions in which Roma or interethnic artists and artistic groups address issues of Roma self-representation, Roma perspectives, and storytelling from a Roma viewpoint.

Theopen call offered the stand-up format as a starting point, which creators were free to fill with their own content, adapt, or even reinterpret. The initiative was equally open to various forms of contemporary theater and performance, including post-dramatic, musical, and movement-based approaches.

The three performances—Gypsy Solitude, Evilface, and Gipsy, but Decent—have been in the repertoire of both the Independent Theater Hungary and the Trafó House of Contemporary Arts since 2025, and have also been presented at several Hungarian professional events and festivals, including the 8th International Roma Heroes Theater Festival.

Focus scene

Reviews

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materials to read

excerpts from the play

In case you would like to request availability to the full play and/or the full video about the performance, write an email to info@romaheroes.org and describe the aim of your request!

IN ENGLISH