Press Photos



The Table

The Table is a warm and honest expression of modern man's quest for meaning and magic. Faith in love and its power is the only global mythology, and it is very much alive. In a world where God is dead, where humanity has betrayed itself, and people experience a lack of unity and meaning, we have to create our own miracles.

The 80 years old German photographer Michael Bry traveled by train for three weeks, from Mourtosa in Portugal to Stamsund, capturing expressions of love on the way. Michael's physical journey and experienced eye, gave us a poetic distance as well as a thematic framework for the production. His photos, and our own experiences with love have been our inspiration to produce The Table. The photos are integrated in the artistic expression, and are also shown separately as an exhibition in dialogue with the performance.

At the outset, it was easier to work on desillusionment, perversion, bitterness and dissapointment than hope and joy of life. The innocent and naïve expectations of life that we all carry with us, regardless of age, is difficult to express without turning to clichés and images already overindulged in by media. It is easier to focus on the difficulties of love and our shortcomings than to expose a romantic hope. Distance, a fresh approach and purity of heart was necessary to see our project of love through.

The Table was produced in Essaouira in Morocco, in cooperation with Association Essaouira Mogador. This area is at the core of the Gnawa culture. The Gnawa perform a spiritual musical ritual lasting all night, which puts both the musicians and the audience in a trance. Seven spirits are liberated and in the course of the ritual, they heal all known diseases, including broken hearts. Teater NOR needed this shamanistic inspiration to approach the creative and revolutionary potential of love.

The visual platform is a wooden rig, five meters tall, made out of eucalypus. A large table covered with white tablecloths is placed underneath. By way of electrical winches, large mirrors, three video projectors, lazers and wind machines, the table dematieralises. Only fragments remain of the civilised dinnertable. The room changes form, ambiance and meaning, and the actors in the room change character. The room imposes strict conditions - any hope, meaning, and images have to be created by us.

Through a precise physical expression, live music and modern technology, a powerful artistic expression is created, mirroring the naked meeting between human beings. We all pin our hope to the possibility of such an honest meeting. Beautiful flowers bloom under the hardest of circumstances.

The performance is despite its impressive exterior at the same time informal and humorous. The music is integrated throughout, and binds the poetic images together. Instruments used are violin, double bass, drums, accordions and metal claquettes.

Contributors:
Producer: Oddny Wiggen
Director: Thorbjørn Gabrielsen
Text: Thorbjørn Gabrielsen
Photo: Michael Bry
Music: Andreas Eilertsen
Scenography: Morten Laane/Øystein Helle
Light: Øystein Helle
Video: Thorbjørn Gabrielsen
Actors: Sissel Helgesen, Andreas Eilertsen, Øystein Sanne, Cristina Granados, Elisabeth Larsen