Dictator Ceausescu's only remaining son takes theatre play to court

The only remaining child of the Elena and Nicolae Ceausecu, ex-communist dictatorial couple, namely Valentin Ceausescu intends to ask in court for the theatre play „Ceausescu’s last hours” to be forbidden. The play is staged at the initiative of the International Institute for Political Crime and its opening took place in December 2009 at Odeon Theatre in Bucharest. The announcement was made on Tuesday, February 2 2010, by Valentin Ceausescu’s lawyer, quoted by AFP.

The play, a German-Swiss co-production featuring Romanian actors, aims to reconstruct the events that led to the trial of the dictatorial couple and the execution of the two Ceausescu. The show has already been staged overseas and with success.

The show id directed by Milo Rau and Simone Eisenring and features in the leading roles Constantin Cojocaru (Nicolae Ceausescu), Victoria Cocias (Elena Ceausescu), Mircea Rusu (Ion Caramitru) and Constantin Draganescu (General Stanculescu).

According to the play’s directors, the show is not theatrical, but a reconstruction of the events 20 years ago. The play was staged twice in Bucharest in December last year, travelling to the stages in Berlin, Germany, but also in Switzerland, in Zurich and Lucerna.

The Ceausescu brand

Valentin Ceausescu’s lawyer Haralambie Voicila explained for the AFP that the oldest son of the ex-Romanian dictator and his sister’s husband Mircea Opran registered the name of „Ceausescu” as a brand two years ago, so that it cannot be used for commercial purposes without their agreement.

Haralambie Voicila said that Valentin Ceausescu will ask for symbolic losses – 1 leu, if the court will rule out in his favour. „The aim of this trial is not for my client to get rich, but to prevent his father’s name from being taken to the ridicule”, Valentin Ceausescu’s lawyer added.