Thursday 8 November 18 hr., Frityren, Arctic Culture Centre
English read through of text: Thursday 8 November 17.30 in Frityren.
A visual, and physical story from experiences made in Beijing. "Beijing Stories" is a solo-monologue about being lost in translation, alienated and confused when you are far away from home. This performance is in Norwegian, but for international guests we are offering an English read through of the text in advance of the performance.
Based on stories written by Jon during a working-visit to Beijing in 2017, this performance is part of the first chapter of Jon´s new trilogy project "Bullshit and Melancholy".
What is it like to loose oneself and become someone else when you find yourself in a new and strange place? "Beijing Stories" is about the meeting between a Norwegian director and five Chinese actors, their work together and the challenges they face. We follow Jon from his confused arrival in the metropolis until he finally reaches the premiere moment, somewhat still confused.
"Beijing Stories" takes us on a journey into the unexplained, reaching a dark place, where you are feeling constantly dazed and on are on the search for something.
This project is a collaboration between sound artist Eirik Blekesaune from Verdensteatret and director Jon Tombre. In the space between digital sound and bodily presence, a separate universe of sound and light is created. Jon has wanted to both write and dance, and Eirik has wanted to look at the transition between word as meaning and words as sounds. The result is a mix of digital sound art and the sounds of a moving body. As a dramaturgical principle, the project is self-supporting, which means that the performance is rigged and played without any technical assistance. The performance room is as is, the only prerequisite is the darkness and access to the sound system. Jon brings his laptop, some work lamps and the performance begins.....
The performance was first shown at Oslo National Academy of the Arts in early June 2018. The presentation resulted in invitations from several festivals, such as: Høstscena, DanseFestival Barents in Hammerfest and Barents Spektakel in Kirkenes.
Duration 40 min
Jon Tombre is a Norwegian theatre director with over 70 productions under his belt. He trained at the Norwegian State Theatre School and Ecole Lecoq in France. He has worked for many different companies and institutions, as well as a freelance artist. He has worked with most of the regional theaters across Norway and internationally. He has received the prestigeous Norwegian Heddapris "for special artistic effort" and has twice won the Norwegian Critics award for his performance work.
