Thomas Vinterberg, Mogens Rukov and Bo hr. Hansen's Festen

About this book

'Festen', first staged at London's Almeida Theatre in 2004, is an adaptation of the Danish film of the same name. It satirises the hypocrisy of a large and wealthy family by observing the events that unfold at the ancestral home during a reunion held to celebrate the oldest family member's 60th birthday. As the time arises for birthday speeches to be made to the party's subject, one of his sons stands and asks the assembled guests to choose which of two prepared speeches he should read. The guests select one not knowing its contents, and the son declares it the 'truth speech'. As he begins to talk, it becomes dramatically clear that he is accusing his father of having abused him and his sister over a period of years during their childhood. The rest of the story traces the family's turbulent battle with the truth to discover whether the son's cold rage is justified or the product of a deranged imagination.