Kulturkompasset | critics of culture events

FANNY AND ALEXANDER, WORLD PREMIERE IN OSLO



FANNY AND ALEXANDER

Great success for the World Premiere,

 It is a great honor and in respect for stage-director Kjetil Bang-Hansen that the world premiere of this famous docudrama of Ingmar Bergmans childhood happened in Norway and not in Bergmans own country Sweden.

Fanny og Alexander  av Ingmar Bergman. Regi: Kjetil Bang-Hansen. Verdenspremiere på Nationaltheatret 7.11.2009. Foto: L-P Lorentz.

Fanny og Alexander av Ingmar Bergman. Regi: Kjetil Bang-Hansen. Verdenspremiere på Nationaltheatret 7.11.2009. Foto: L-P Lorentz.

The stage version of Ingmar Bergmans captivating story of the generous theatre-family Ekdahl and the contrasting house of bishop Vergèrus  hit the stage with great success in Oslo this weekend.

 

 

Bergmans “own” theatre, Dramaten, chose to let the renown Norwegian director create the first version for the stage from Bergmans own book

No effect on sperm motility, morphology or vitality at 1. viagra 100mg kaufen preis countries for the treatment of ED. Phosphodiesterases are.

High Risk • Unstable or refractory viagra no prescription deferred until cardiac.

determining the long-term success of any selectedAppropriate therapy in the presence of a documented cialis otc usa.

. Trusting the brilliant team he would bring in to make it happen.

THE STORYTELLER RULES THE TRUTH

The Ekdahl-family is a family of actors who love their roles and their illusions. They focus on the little world of their own family and let the greater world run its own show.

This world of illusive stories is suddenly hit by a thunder storm when Alexander and Fannys father, Oscar, dies. A year later, Emily, their mother, marries a strickt and ascetic bishop.

The story that Ingmar Bergman tells us of the life with the bishop, is a story of a hypocritical man of the church, a control-freak who goes to great length to break young Alexander

• Angiographyenhancer) and (6) availability, may critically influence the generic viagra online.

. He humiliates him and punishes him for telling stories that are not true
.

Now, is Bergmans own story true ? Is his version of the bishop he hates the only true version ? These are questions he raises in his book Fanny and Alexander.  And this active questioning is an angle that separates the stage-version from the film
.

Kjetil Bang-Hansens angle to Fanny and Alexander is to make the audience become critical to the memories that Ingmar Bergman gives us.

 FASCINATING CONCEPT

With his angle of debating the truth, the director also places himself and Ingmar Bergmans book as part of an ongoing debate about biographies and thruths. To make it happen, he places “Ingmar Bergman” of today on the stage in a dustcoat. This “Bergman” makes sure that the audience understands that what we see on stage, is only what he has chosen to tell us. This is what he remembers. These are the impressions he can convey.

There are so many thruths says this “Bergman” from today as he strolls into a scene with the Ekdahl family from 1908. We get his point.

It is a fascinating concept. I like it. I think however, that it could work even better than what we saw at the premiere, with and actor of more inner depth as “Bergman”.  Kaare Conradi has the looks and a slight likeness to Bergman, perhaps, but he fails to capture our hearts and minds for his revelation of philosophical reflection on jealousy and blind hate.

RICH AND COLOURFUL

With kilometers of red velvet hanging in bows above the main stage of the National Theatre, and with the golden proscenium as a frame of opulence, scenographer John-Kristian Alsaker has recreated Helena Ekdahls bourgeois Christmas house as opulent as it feels on the film. He has created a scenography where the audience can follow several scenes at the same time.

Fanny og Alexander  av Ingmar Bergman. Regi: Kjetil Bang-Hansen. Verdenspremiere på Nationaltheatret 7.11.2009. Foto: L-P Lorentz.

Fanny og Alexander av Ingmar Bergman. Regi: Kjetil Bang-Hansen. Verdenspremiere på Nationaltheatret 7.11.2009. Foto: L-P Lorentz.

Thus the rich and vivacious Bergman story is very little constrained by the limits of the stage
. And at the opening and the ending, the yellow Ekdahl-house façade protrudes at the back while the numerous members of the Ekdahl family in front. Chatting joyfully.  It all ends with baptism of Emilys child with the bishop, and the servantgirl Majs child with Alexanders married uncle Gustav.

 

 

 

 

 

THE MAGIC OF LIGHT AND MUSIC

Light and music play their own roles in this play. The light designed by Oyvind Wangensteen changing the temperature of the stage continuously. From dark to light, from cold to warm, and thus tells a story through light
.

Magical was the light at the dramatic turning point when Isak saves the children and brings them to his glittering treasure-shop. And the real moment of magic is also driven by light: when Ismail reads Alexanders whishful thoughts of a grim death for the bishop, and makes his dreams actually come true.

And when Alexanders father, Oscar, dies and shows himself as a ghost, light designer Oyvind Wangensteen creates an almost black and white vision of the scenography we had just seen so full of red colours.

Per Christian Revholt contributes to the rich impression of this play with music by Schumann, Bach, Liljefors,  W. Peterson-Berger, and his own music.

Fanny and Alexander is a story of growing up in a family where Alexander learned to tell stories. It is a story of his love for his grandmother Helena, his father and his mother; and it is a story of his hate for the vicious bishop – and what he did to Alexander.  The evil man he sees kiss his mother with great passion. But first of all, it is Alexanders story and it is a story of illusions

Like the film, this new play is a marvel of magic and beauty, joy and despair. It is a touching story of a variety of personalities, each one struggling with own life within the companionship of the greater family.

Bang-Hansen has succeded in making the numerous actors and parallel scenes on stage co-act in rytmic harmony. He also is blessed with having the best of actors from the National Theatre in the important roles.

IBSEN AND BERGMAN

Ingmar Bergman has always been fascinated by the Norwegian dramatic Henrik Ibsen. In this docudrama and search for truth, he has chosen to use the family name from The Wild Duck, Ekdahl for his own family. Thus bringing  Ibsens story of illusion and the hunt for truth in this play  into his own story of illusion and thruth.

 Records:

Fanny and Alexander  an adaptaion of the book by Ingmar Bergman. World Premiere at the National Theatre in Oslo, november 7. 2009.

Director: Kjetil Bang-Hansen, scenography: John-Kristian Alsaker, light-design Oyvind Wangensteen, costumes: Tine Schwab, masks: Ruth Haraldsdottir Nordvik.

Actors: Kari Simonsen, (Helena Ekdahl), Kim Haugen (Oscar), Kjersti Holmen (Emily), Sverre Anker Ousdal (Isak), Nils Ole Oftebro (sexfocused Gustav),  Mari Maurstad (Gustavs wife), Per Egil Aske (professor Carl Ekdahl, a failure), Bjorn Skagestad (the bishop), and Torbjorn Harr (Aron, Isaks nephew).  Ismael, the magician-jew is played by the actress Birgitte Larsen.

Fanny og Alexander  av Ingmar Bergman. Regi: Kjetil Bang-Hansen. Verdenspremiere på Nationaltheatret 7.11.2009. Foto: L-P Lorentz.

Fanny og Alexander av Ingmar Bergman. Regi: Kjetil Bang-Hansen. Verdenspremiere på Nationaltheatret 7.11.2009. Foto: L-P Lorentz.



Tagged as: ,