We've posted an English excerpt of the interview below. To read the full article (in Norwegian) click here.
How was it for you as an artist who is known for being in complete control of her work to subordinate yourself to this project?
In many ways I am still in complete control. I am alone on the stage and have the power to do whatever I want. But with this show I trusted myself and decided to dedicate myself completely to the project. I felt completely safe in the hands of Oystein Brager and the team of Oslo International Theatre. Their integrity is enormous and I didn't think for a second that my integrity would be threatened. I understood this was a very important play and was happy not to have to rehearse for it. It was thoroughly improvised and it felt very liberating.
There is something very wrong with the premise of contemporary theatre. Theatre has not been able to develop alongside society at all. After 9/11 the world has moved in a very strange direction and changed into something unrecognisable. But theatre has not kept up with this changing world. Too often we just see projectors and multi media thrown at theatre in a bid to make it feel 'contemporary'. My God! But I think what happened here tonight with White Rabbit, Red Rabbit is a step in the right direction. A step towards a theatre that demands that the actor is completely aware and highly attuned. I isolated myself for two months to prepare for this show. Exactly like an athlete an actor has to be in top form before the big game.
Kate Pendry is a British writer, director and actor who is based in Norway and one of the country's leading experimental theatre makers. She is recipient of an Ibsen Award, the most prestigious theatre award in Norway.
No comments:
Post a Comment