A Celebration of Romania's National Culture Day
Acclaimed actors Emilia Popescu and András Demeter, together with pianist and composer Cătălin Răducanu, bring to London a finely curated poetry recital that places Romanian literature in a vibrant contemporary frame. Conceived as a meeting point between spoken word, live piano, and video footage,A Hand for the Poet offers an immersive artistic experience in which poetry is heard, felt and reimagined across languages.
Join us for this exceptional poetry recital, organised on the the occasion of Romania’s National Culture Day, featuring some of the most influential voices of Romanian poetry –Mihai Eminescu, Tudor Arghezi, Marin Sorescu, and Nichita Stănescu. Poems are performed live in Romanian by Emilia Popescu and András Demeter, while specially prepared video projections feature English-language readings by award-winning London-based actor Anamaria Marinca and Sir Michael Pennington, alongside archival contributions from the late Ion Caramitru, the distinguished Romanian actor and Honorary Officer of the Order of the British Empire (1995)
The event is organised in collaboration with Asociația Pro Contemporania.
Programme:
Piano interludes and jazz improvisations throughout the recital – Cătălin Răducanu
Mihai Eminescu
Din manuscrise – VIDEO – Ion Caramitru (RO) / From the Manuscripts – VIDEO – Michael Pennington (EN)
„Și dacă” – Emilia Popescu (RO) /And if… – VIDEO – Michael Pennington (EN)
„Lacul” – András Demeter (RO) /The Forest Pool – VIDEO – Michael Pennington (EN)
„Dintre sute de catarge” – András Demeter (RO) /Of the Masts – VIDEO – Michael Pennington (EN)
„Trecut-au anii” – Emilia Popescu (RO) /Sonnet (The Years Have Passed) – VIDEO – Michael Pennington (EN)
„Cu mâine zilele-ți adaugi” – András Demeter (RO) /With Tomorrow You Add to Your Days – VIDEO – Michael Pennington (EN)
„La steaua” – VIDEO – Ion Caramitru (RO) /To the Star – VIDEO – Michael Pennington (EN)
„La steaua” – Live dialogue Emilia Popescu & András Demeter (RO)
All translations by Corneliu M. Popescu.
Tudor Arghezi
„Flori de mucigai” – András Demeter (RO) /Mould Flowers – VIDEO – Anamaria Marinca (EN) Translation: Andrei Bantaș
Marin Sorescu
„O amoebă” – Emilia Popescu (RO) /An Amoeba – VIDEO – Anamaria Marinca (EN)
„Segment” – András Demeter (RO) /Segment – VIDEO – Anamaria Marinca (EN)
„Trebuiau să poarte un nume” – Marin Sorescu – Emilia Popescu (RO)
Nichita Stănescu
„Necuvintele” – Emilia Popescu (RO) /The Non-Words – VIDEO – Anamaria Marinca (EN) Translation: Andrei Bantaș
„Vârsta de aur a dragostei” – András Demeter (RO) /The Golden Age of Love – VIDEO – Anamaria Marinca (EN) Translation: Andrei Bantaș
Emilia Popescu graduated in 1988 from the “I.L. Caragiale” National University of Theatre and Film, where she studied under two of Romanian theatre’s most revered figures, Olga Tudorache and Florin Zamfirescu. She belongs to a generation of actors who would redefine the Romanian stage after 1989. Her film debut came even before graduation, with a memorable performance as Ilinca inMoromeții (1987), directed by Stere Gulea, marking the beginning of a distinguished career in theatre and cinema. One of the stage roles that first established her reputation was inStrăini în noapte, directed by Radu Beligan, now considered a landmark of contemporary boulevard theatre. From the 2002–2003 season, she became a member of the Comedy Theatre in Bucharest, where she created some of her most acclaimed roles, including Martha inWho’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf?—for which she received the Best Actress Award at the Brașov Contemporary Drama Festival in 2010—as well as Arkadina inThe Seagull and Marlene Dietrich in the eponymous play. Her versatility has been evident across Bucharest’s major stages, including the Bulandra Theatre, the National Theatre, ARCUB and Metropolis. Her repertoire ranges from Helena inA Midsummer Night’s Dream and Hermione inThe Winter’s Tale to Natalia Ivanovna inThree Sisters, Chirița in Alecsandri’s play, and Juliette inStrăini în noapte. In cinema, she has appeared in films such asÎn fiecare zi mi-e dor de tine (1988),Liliacul înflorește a doua oară (1989),Divorț… din dragoste (1992),Timpul liber (1993), and most recentlyLasă-mă, îmi place: Camera 609 (2023). Beyond the stage and screen, Emilia Popescu has enjoyed a strong television presence on Pro TV and TVR, and her role as a judge onDansez pentru tine further highlighted her artistic authority. In 2002, she was awarded the National Order for Merit, Knight rank, in recognition of her contribution to Romanian theatre. Today, she remains one of its most admired and versatile figures, distinguished by elegance, intelligence and artistic rigour.
A multilingual actor embarking on an artistic and intellectual journey of exceptional breadth, András Demeter continued his education with a Master’s degree in Cultural Management at Ecumest in Dijon and, between 2004 and 2008, completed a law degree at Tibiscus University in Timișoara. At just 23, he was appointed General Director of the Hungarian State Theatre in Timișoara, becoming the youngest head of a public theatre institution in Romania and the first to be selected through a management project. He founded and directed the Comedians’ Feast of Timișoara, an international street theatre festival which, between 1996 and 2002, grew into one of Central Europe’s most significant cultural events. From 2010 to 2012, he served as President and General Director of the Romanian Radio Broadcasting Company, and in 2013 assumed leadership of the TVR Production House, overseeing the complex reorganisation of the National Television Theatre. In 2015, he launched the open-airTeatru în TVR, which during the pandemic became an essential link between performers and audiences. Alongside his managerial achievements, Demeter has built a distinguished acting career, performing major roles from world drama in Hungarian, Romanian and German. His repertoire includes Lojko Zobar, Alessandro de’ Medici, Faust, Claudius, Bánk Bán, Romeo and Orlando. He is the only Romanian actor to have appeared in the inaugural production of the new National Theatre of Hungary in Budapest. His versatility also extends to musical theatre, notably as Friar Lorenzo in Romeo and Juliet in both Bucharest and Budapest, as well as to film and television. In recognition of his cultural contribution, he was awarded the French Order of Arts and Letters in 2011. András Demeter currently serves as Romania’s Minister of Culture.
Cătălin Răducanu is a pianist trained at the “Dinu Lipatti” National College of Arts and the National University of Music in Bucharest, where he studied with Alma Peter, Vlad Dimulescu, Dana Borșan and Viniciu Moroianu. A laureate of numerous national and international competitions, he has performed widely in Germany, Hungary, France and Italy, and has further refined his artistry through masterclasses with distinguished musicians including Gabriel Amiraș, Andrei Gavrilov and Cristian Beldi. Twice a recipient of scholarships from UNIMIR and the Princess Margareta of Romania Foundation (2014 and 2016), Răducanu has appeared in recital and concert at many of Romania’s most important cultural venues. These include the Romanian Athenaeum, the Palace Hall, the National Opera in Bucharest, the George Enescu Museum, ARCUB Hall, the George Enescu University of Music, Dalles Hall, Casa Lipatti, Peleș Castle and the “Queen Elisabeth” Palace, as well as international stages such as the Franz Liszt Academy in Budapest and the Hungarian Academy in Rome. His artistic profile also encompasses collaborations with institutions such as the Brașov and Râmnicu Vâlcea Philharmonics, the Odeon Theatre, the Czech Centre, the Hungarian Institute, and the Romanian Cinematheque, where in 2016 he performed live piano improvisations for silent films. He was a regular participant in the “Lipatti Evenings” Festival between 2013 and 2014. Alongside his commitment to the classical repertoire, Cătălin Răducanu is actively involved in jazz as both performer and composer. His first solo project was presented in 2023 as part of the national tourOne Artist, One Piano, One Cimbalom – Classical, Jazz, Folk, which brought his music to audiences across Romania, from the Romanian Athenaeum in Bucharest to some of the country’s most remote villages.
When: 17 Jan 2026, 4 pm – 6 pm
Where: Romanian Cultural Institute, 1 Belgrave Square, London SW1X 8PH, UK
