Nataša Matjašec Rošker, a 56-year-old actress who first made a name for herself as Laura in the popular 1991 Slovenian road movie Grandma Goes South, is the winner of the 2023 Borštnik Ring, the top national accolade for theatre actors, in what is just the latest in a long series of awards she has won.

"The essence of her acting is elusive, it evades being categorised, because the actress never stops in her search, constantly searching for new avenues of acting and means of expression," Matjašec Rošker was praised as the Borštnik Ring winner was declared on 30 May.

The award, named after Slovenia's first professional actor Ignacij Borštnik (1858-1919), is presented at the closing ceremony of the annual Maribor Theatre Festival, this year running between 5 and 18 June. It is given out alternately to an actor and an actress.

A graduate of the Ljubljana Academy of Theatre, Radio, Film and Television, Matjašec Rošker worked as a freelancer from 1995 and 2007, performing in more than 30 productions of independent and institutional theatre companies as well as on film. She has also authored and co-authored scripts.

She then joined the ensemble of the SNG Maribor, and has stayed with it for the past 16 years, performing in dozens of roles to generally excellent critical acclaim. She has won a number of awards in Slovenia and abroad for her acting accomplishments.

The judges praised her for "inventing new forms that she builds at the intersection of different artistic layers". "Despite having dedicated a great part of her career to various genres in theatre, she is close to experimental and lab forms, including puppet theatre and film."

Matjašec Rošker welcomed the Borštnik Ring as a reward for her creativity so far but in no way as an end to her career. "I'm enormously honoured, happy and proud... I can say it was worth it. You must be at times brave, cheeky, and diplomatic. It's not easy for a Slovenian theatre actress to survive, but it can be done."