On Friday the 22nd February we finally presented our two showcase performances of Norway.Today. We pitched our ideas to Company of Angels last June, and have been working actively on the production since last September, so it was a relief to finally seeing it all come to fruition. This long awaited culmination only marks the end of phase one though, now we are on to phase two which includes planning further development and contacting potential venues and festivals.

Being given the theatre at the Junction not only to perform in, but also to rehearse in for the entire two weeks we were there was a rare luxury, but also absolutely necessary: Our concept relies heavily on the use of video projection and live feed, and we were able to install and work with these features from day one. We received very positive feedback on how the video projection was incorporated into the show, something we would never have achieved had we not had the chance to rehearse with it through the whole process.

There are some people we would like to thank for their dedication to this project, without whom it would not have come together:

John, Theresa and Vanessa at Company of Angels for giving us this great opportunity.

Richard and Lucia at the Junction for their generosity, giving us the chance to work in the Junction theatre space for two weeks.

The Junction staff for their help with this and that whenever we needed it.

Tamas Kirali, our lighting designer who came in right at the very end and lit the show beautifully.

Yui Okado who volunteered to help us out with stage management in the last stages of the process.

Rob Colin Thomas, photographer, for coming up to Cambridge to take photographs of the show.

Our two audiences who gave us positive, critical and constructive feedback.

And last but not least:

Laurence Short, our video and sound designer – this would have been a completely different show without you, we have benefitted greatly from your technical know-how and never-ending ingenuity! We hope this is the beginning of a long and fruitful relationship!

And of course the actors, Neil Connolly and Hannah Boyde – you are our August and Julie, and we look forward to continue the Norway.Today adventure with you!

Where do we go next? We don’t know yet. But one thing is certain: There will be more performances of Norway.Today. It is only a question of where and when…

- Øystein

Imploding Fictions’ production of Norway.Today by Igor Bauersima (translated by Dr. Marlene Norst) was developed with support from Company of Angels and The Junction as part of the Young Angels Theatremakers Award Programme 07/08.

Images: Rob Thomas © 2008 http://www.robthomasphotography.com

Tickets for Norway.Today can now be booked at the Junction Box Office 01223511511, web: http://www.junction.co.uk . It would be great to see you there! 

Best, Philip Thorne and Øystein Brager – Artistic Directors of Imploding Fictions     

—

My life depends entirely on that knot, tied to that tree. And I am just about to climb straight up a straight cliff face. I must be mad.

—

—

I’m crawling on my belly through a slimy cave.
‘Head first’ the instructor said.
Surely I can’t fit in that hole?

—

—

‘Scrambling means climbing without a rope.’ Oh really? And what happens if I fall?

—

Oh great. Now it’s raining. As if that rock wasn’t slippery enough.

—

—

If I let go of this rope now, Hannah’s in big trouble.
Funny when she fell off, she looked a bit like a jojo up there.

—

Neil – how do you manage to make that look easy?

—

—

It’s a 13 degrees angle. Above me. Where did that come from?

—

‘Put your fingers in that crack.’
Crack?
What crack?

—

My foot is slipping.
I can’t grip onto that little, slanting piece of… nothing, with my bare fingertips?!
I’m gonna fall…
I’m gonna fall…
!!!
…
I’m dangling.
I’m actually hanging off a cliff held up by nothing but a rope.
Swing forth, swing back…
This is quite cool actually!
Ahhh, relax.
Oh.
Hannah’s holding my rope.
Start climbing again…

—

That looks well funny, Lanz, with your bum and one leg hanging off that boulder!
Don’t move, I’ve got to get a picture of that.
What are you saying?
You can’t move anyway?
Nowhere to go?
You’re half the way up the face of a cliff, Lanz, you better find somewhere to move…

—

I’ve got one of my actors dangling off a cliff.
Only supported by a tiny rope.
Because there’s nothing for her to hold onto on the cliff face, which is completely smooth.
And slippery.
And she’s filming.
Some important footage for our show.
She looks slightly worried.
‘Great expression! Film your face!’
She’s holding my camera. My expensive camera.
There is God-knows-how-many feet down.
Certain death if the rope snaps.
Don’t know what I’m most scared of: Loosing Hannah, loosing my camera or not getting the footage we need?

—

Today Imploding Fictions went rock climbing. We took our team from Norway.Today down to Harrison’s Rocks in Groombridge, Tunbridge Wells. Hannah Boyde and Neil Connnolly (the actors), Laurence Short (our film designer) and me, Øystein, was the excited and partially scared team, whilst Sarah Cullen from Rock Climbing Classes (www.rockclimbingclasses.co.uk) was our instructor for the day. Norway.Today is set on the edge of a cliff in Norway, and needing some footage for our video projection plus wanting to let the actors experience what it is like being at the edge of an actual cliff, seeing how that changes their physicality, we decided to do a day of rock climbing. It was also great for teambuilding of course. I now know that I can trust any of these guys with my life (not that I ever doubted – ?), having had them belay me (belay: to fasten or control the rope to which a climber is attached) as I climbed – and fell – off a huge cliff.

I think life should be an adventure. And working with Imploding Fictions is definitely an adventure, for me and hopefully for all the people we work with.
In this case even quite literally:

adventure:
n
1. an exciting or extraordinary event or series of events
2. an undertaking involving uncertainty and risk
3. the participation or willingness to participate in things that involve uncertainty and risk
v
1. to risk something
2. vi to dare to go somewhere new or engage in something dangerous

—

Eeehhh… My knees are badly bruised. My hip’s twisted. I’ve pulled something in my shoulder. My legs hurt. My back aches. I’ve scratched my arms. There are some weird red spots on my thigh that I’ve no idea how got there. And I’m dead exhausted. So…
I feel really great. Bloods rushing, today was beautiful. Let’s do it again!

- Øystein

Imploding Fictions’ production of Norway.Today by Igor Bauersima is part of the Young Angels Theatremakers Awards, run by Company of Angels and the Junction in Cambridge. You can read more about Norway.Today on www.implodingfictions.com. If you are interested in seeing the production you can contact us on improfilm@hotmail.com.