John Malkovich at Romania’s George Enescu festival: It was a beautiful show, but I could use a break

One of America's most charismatic actors, John Malkovich (in picture) has performed in Romania for the first time, playing the role of a serial killer in The Infernal Comedy – Confessions of a Serial Killer. Taking place yesterday (September 9) at the Romanian Athenaeum in Bucharest, the show was part of this year’s edition of George Enescu classical music festival. During a press conference organized after the performance in Bucharest, Malkovich said: “Every performance is different, because the theatre is a living entity that lives for eternity. So, I did opera with 26 singers and each of them is different, the interpretations are different and the audience is different every time. It was a beautiful show and a wonderful audience.” Despite touring with the show for five years around the world, the famous actor said he didn't feel like he'd changed since its beginning.

However, he confessed being tired and feeling like a break:

“The tours around the world, passing from one airport to another, the fact that I’ve been terrorized by paparazzi, are enough for me. When I left the theater in Lisbon, Michael and I went out for a smoke to talk about what we’ll do, what we should do and we had to stop for pictures. Many, many, many pictures. It’s extremely rude and aggressive,” said the American actor, adding that although he really likes this show, he also has other plans as an actor and director. When asked if there are also good parts in being John Malkovich, the American actor referred to the opportunity of working with quality people like Michael Sturminger (director) and Martin Haselbock (conductor). “I think Michael and Martin did a great job. They made a compact and interesting show, with fantastic music that fits the show,” said Malkovich. The Infernal Comedy – Confessions of a Serial Killer premiered in Los Angeles in 2008 and is written specifically for John Malkovich. The American actor is the storyteller and the only character of the musical, which features arias of Mozart, Vivaldi, Beethoven and Haydn, and is performed by Wiener Akademie chamber orchestra, conducted by Martin Haselbock. The play tells the true story of maniacal murderer Jack Unterweger, who was convicted of murder in 1974. During the two-hour monologue, Unterweger – played by John Malkovich, improvises and talks to the audience. Romania’s George Enescu festival, which celebrates the work of the Romanian composer, kicked off on September 1 and will continue until September 28. The festival’s program also includes Vortice Dance Company’s Dracula show and Richard Wagner’s Ring of the Nibelung (Der Ring des Nibelungen) tetralogy perfomance. More about the festival here. Irina Popescu, irina.popescu@romania-insider.com