Playwright and blogger Darren Lerigo recently conducted an interview with Oystein Ulsberg Brager, joint artistic director of Imploding Fictions and head of Oslo International Theatre. Since Darren’s blog is now changing the interview will be taken off his site, and Darren has asked us if we can host the interview on Imploding Fictions’ blog instead. We are more than happy to comply!
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What is Oslo International Theatre? How did it begin?
Oslo International Theatre (OIT), is a project run by Imploding Fictions. Oslo International Theatre presents contemporary international drama which has not been performed in Norway before, at a venue in Oslo. With a few exceptions (‘Flap and Fear’ by Darren Lerigo being one of them), we get all the plays translated into Norwegian, and perform them as rehearsed readings. Oslo International Theatre began in November 2009 with a reading of Caryl Churchill’s provocative play ‘Seven Jewish Children’, and has quickly grown to become Imploding Fictions biggest undertaking. The idea appeared out of a wish to start a longer, sustained project, a desire to do something that might have a lasting impact, and the want to do finally do something in Oslo.
Who runs Oslo International Theatre?
Imploding Fictions runs OIT. The artistic leadership is held by Øystein Ulsberg Brager and Philip Thorne, and all sorts of practical and organisational things are taken care of by our eminent collaborator & stage manager Michael H. Sciarrone.
How do you choose plays? What are you looking for in the work?
OIT work only with contemporary plays (the oldest play we have done was written in 1990), and we choose plays that take place in contemporary society, that comment on contemporary society, and often plays which are critical of something in contemporary society, be it politics, economics, culture, trends, peoples behaviour or attitudes, you name it. Plays for now. Plays for people who live today. Plays about the experience of today.
In order to find these plays, we read, read, read and read some more. At least 90% of the plays we read don’t make the shortlist. Some because they don’t fit our criteria, most because they are simply not good enough. We are looking for the gems. We only want the best.
How have the shows been received so far?
We have received very positive feedback both from audiences and the industry. After only two readings, we were invited to an informal meeting with the second largest theatre in Oslo this spring to talk about OIT and about some of the plays in our program. We were very proud to be noticed by the big fish so early in our progress! Next year we are not only doing readings of plays, we are also organizing workshops run by two noticable figures in international theatre, both of whom have expressed great excitement about being part of our program for 2011. Rehearsed readings are not done very much in Norway, so I think the audiences are gradually discovering what a rewarding and exciting format it is for those interested in contemporary drama. I think the audiences in Oslo are craving new plays, new stories, contemporary stories. And I sense an excitement related to the discovery that there is now a place to experience that on a regular basis.
What has been your favourite play to work on?
What an impossible question to answer! We only do great plays. Thats why we do them. Because they’re great. I can’t answer that, because I love them all for different reasons.
Where does Oslo International Theatre fit in the Norwegian theatrical landscape?
Norwegian theatre consists of two main camps: The theatres / big institutions and the free groups / the independent theatre companies. Imploding Fictions belongs amongst the independent companies, but Oslo International Theatre stands out as a different kind of project to what most other companies do. Most independent companies make touring shows, that tour internationally, nationally or schools, or they make a show which is on for a sustained run in a programming or hired venue. Most companies make one show at the time (only a few of them are big enough to have more than one show in their repertoir). Not very many companies run regular projects or a series of related events (the ones that do, tend to organise lab sessions or workshops). The way OIT works, programming 6 or 8 plays a year (6 in 2010, 8 in 2011), means that we stand out, operating in a way which is very idiosyncratic.
There are also no other Norwegian company devoted to contemporary, international drama, in the way that we are. There are other companies that perform contemporary international drama now and again, and the big theatres do include contamporary foreign plays in their repertoir to a certain extent, but no other company or theatre has the same long term, singular dedication to bringing plays to Norway that haven’t been performed here before, and getting plays translated and made accessible in Norwegian.
What else does Oslo International Theatre provide? Workshops? Encouragement for new writers?
OIT also organizes other events in relation to some of our readings. After the reading of ‘Seven Jewish Children’ by Caryl Churchill we organised a panel debate about political texts and the political drama in a Norwegian context. After ‘Flap and Fear’ there will be an informal conversation about being a young playwright with Darren Lerigo and the Norwegian playwright Toril Solvang. Next year we are organising workshops both for young directors and young playwrights, as well as conversations, debates and Q&As after several of our readings. We want the project to contain more than just the performances, we want OIT to be a meeting place for people interested in contemporary drama.
What dreams do you have for the project? Would you be open to bringing Norwegian plays to other countries, say, England?
My dream is that OIT will keep on running for years and years, feeding norwegian theatre with exciting texts from all over the world, building an ever stronger and growing team of theatre artists who share the same interest in contemporary drama.
I would be very excited for OIT to become involved in international exchange, contributing to bringing norwegian drama abroad as well as bringing international drama to Norway.
What has been the most important thing you’ve learnt so far?
As an artist and as a producer of theatre: That I need to be challenged to get better. I need people around me to challenge my ideas, in order for the ideas to grow into good ideas. Projects get better from having had more people (the right people, of course) think cleverly and properly about them. I am better when I get forced to be better, and I need to surround myself not with people who pander to my every whim, or who see my flaws but ignore them, or who trust unquestioningly that I probably always know what I am doing, but people, who want the same ultimate outcome that I want, and who dare to question how we are supposed to get there.
What problems have you found most difficult to overcome?
My own impatience. I want OIT to be very big, succesful and noticed by all the right people right away. But it will take time. We are getting there, and we are actually growing in quite a significant tempo. But my dreams are even quicker…
Also, on more practical and less philosophical note: Getting press. The norwegian press are notoriously bad for covering cultural events. How to get noticed by the big newspapers is a code we still haven’t cracked.
What is Oslo like for Theatre?
Good. In the last 5-10 years, better and better. Bar OIT there isn’t that much contemporary international drama on. Some, but not a lot. But the cultural scene is thriving, and the scope of what gets put on very broad. Oslo is a good place to be for culture at the moment.
Who inspires you the most?
Several people. My friend Dazzler, because he insists on living life on his own terms and not on anybody else’s. He has a freedom I admire him deeply for. My cousin Marie, who is a producer of cultural events. She has this unflinching belief that it is possible to make things happen. My great friend and collaborator Philip, because I can create with him. My friend Birgitte who is a theatre director, because she belives in me. She never seems to doubt that I will manage what I want to do. Even when I have doubts. My friend and collaborator Michael for his unashamed pride over everything we achieve. The five of them are fantastic people who I am very, very lucky to know. As an artist and as a human being.
What is the best advice you’ve ever had?
“F*ck, f*ck and f*ck!”
This was advice from a fierce and fabulous mentor. It should be read both literally and metaphorically – she was telling me to grow up. Maturity and experience. As a person, to become an artist. Crude words. But oh, so true.
What are your plans for the rest of the day?
Keep marketing the next reading with Oslo International Theatre, and perhaps work some more on some funding applications. And maybe read a play.
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Find out more about Oslo International Theatre
- interview by Darren Lerigo.
