Looking for a Husband
Romantic comedy
Looking for a Husband is an entertaining story about a widow who turns to tarot cards and an online ad in search of the “perfect” husband. Her standards are almost impossible to meet, so her lonely neighbour comes up with an unusual plan: he asks a friend to pose as a string of eccentric suitors, hoping that he himself will seem like the only sensible choice. The result is a witty comedy of misunderstandings, full of twists, warmth and laughter.
Written by: Miro Gavran // Translation and direction: Nenno Harlekin // Costume design: Tina Bonča // Music: Damijan Hočevar – Krmpy // Produced by: Smejmo se and Harlekin Teater // Cast: Alenka Tetičkovič, Rok Kunaver, Aleksandar Rajaković
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The production brings together a cast of familiar faces who helped shape a golden era of Slovenian television and theatre. At its centre is Alenka Tetičkovič, best known to television audiences as Nurse Franja in the cult series Naša mala klinika. A recipient of the Sever Award, she is equally at home in drama and puppetry. She is joined by Aleksandar Rajaković, whose more than 400 performances of the one-man comedy Čefurji raus! marked a milestone on Slovenian stages. Audiences may also know him from the films Piran – Pirano, Kekec, tri dni pred poroko and Med mano, tabo in bogom. Rok Kunaver gained recognition as the charming Sašo in Svingerji and as French winegrower André Simoné in the popular series Usodno vino. His role as Robert in Najini mostovi further established him as a familiar face on Slovenian television.
Playwright Miro Gavran is the only living European author with a theatre festival dedicated to his work, Gavranfest. His writing has been translated into more than 40 languages, and his plays have had more than 400 premieres around the world, from Paris to New York. Gavran has a gift for portraying relationships between men and women, using humour to reveal our everyday hopes and vulnerabilities.
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What the cast says about the play:
Aleksandar Rajaković: “Is love really old-fashioned? In our play, the characters’ lives become comically entangled as they search once more for that timeless force we are all willing to go to great lengths to find.”
Alenka Tetičkovič: “For me, the play reflects on the search for a husband, for meaning in life, and for a way not to be alone or lonely. Despite its comic situations, it also captures the sadness of loneliness—something each of us fears in our own way and tries to make sense of as honestly as we can, even if our attempts are sometimes naive, simple or downright eccentric. I think each character reflects something of our own lives, or at least the parts we hide from others and often from ourselves. Even through pain, Cvetka keeps growing.”
Rok Kunaver: “I see the play as an exuberant comedy about human nature. Everyone wants a quick fix, even for love and marriage. When reason fails us, we turn to shortcuts such as online ads and tarot cards. My character believes that enough confidence, a little acting ability—or lack of it—and a disguise can solve almost anything, even love. He has a simple message: these days, the way to someone’s heart isn’t through their stomach … it’s through their apartment.”
