The History of Bestiality Part Four
The History of Bestiality Part Four by AKT 5/Fantastic Four:The History of Bestiality Part Four is the last of four productions in the company Fantastic Four’s tetralogy based on Jens Bjørneboe’s trilogy The History of Bestiality; the books Moment of Freedom (1966), Powderhouse (1969) and Silence (1973). In Part Four the audience meets four soldiers who are launched from a plane into a desert, and a hero-maker of a journalist following them. The History of Bestiality Part Four is an attack at war as phenomenon, and Fantastic Four uses biographic and documentary material as well as fiction, to convey the message.
Information
(Objekt ID 7992)| Object type | Production |
| Premiere | May 14, 2009 |
| Produced by | |
| Coproducers | Black Box Teater |
| Based on | The Soldier Song by Jens Bjørneboe; Mea Maxima Culpa by Jens Bjørneboe; The History of Bestiality by Jens Bjørneboe |
| Audience | Adults |
| Language | Norwegian |
| Keywords | Theatre, Multimedia, Biographical theatre, Documentary, Video, Post-dramatic theatre, Performance |
| Running period | May 14, 2009 |
| Website | AKT 5, Bestialitetens Historie del 4, Facebook - Fantastic Four |
Requirements to venue
| Blackout | No |
In the press release about the production Fantastic Four presented The History of Bestiality Part Four in the following manner:
"Through the three previous productions in the series Fantastic Four has discussed human bestiality and evil through the condescendence of acting the guardian, religion and colonialism in an artistic attempt to confront our own inherited sin as European males. In Part Four the company goes to the core of the issue – the very practice of violence, in particular the violence put into system and legalised through the phenomenon of war. By putting themselves in the situation of the soldiers, the artists will debate the fundamental question about (hu)man’s resident evil, no matter the cost."
Source: Teaternett, teaternett.no, 03.11.2010, http://www.teaternett.no/aktuelt/pressemeldinger/2009/0511-01-072.htm
| Name | Role |
|---|---|
| Mads Sjøgård Pettersen | – Script |
| Niklas Westerberg | – Script |
| Kim Atle Hansen | – Concept/Idea |
| Anders Høgli | – Concept/Idea |
| Mads Sjøgård Pettersen | – Concept/Idea |
| Niklas Westerberg | – Concept/Idea |
| Kim Atle Hansen | – Direction |
| Anders Høgli | – Direction |
| Mads Sjøgård Pettersen | – Direction |
| Niklas Westerberg | – Direction |
| Kim Atle Hansen | – Video/Film |
| Vibeke Heide | – Video/Film |
| Gabriella Bakke | – Performer |
| Mélanie Dahl | – Performer |
| Kenya Foss Parsons | – Performer |
| Karen Sylte Hammern | – Performer |
| Kim Atle Hansen | – Performer |
| Anders Høgli | – Performer |
| Mads Sjøgård Pettersen | – Performer |
| Caisa Strømmen Røstad | – Performer |
| Niklas Westerberg | – Performer |
| Svein Inge Neergård | – Other |
| Kate Pendry | – Other (intervjuobjekt (om krig)) |
| Kaia Varjord | – Other (intervjuobjekt (om krig)) |
| May 23, 2009 – Store scene Black Box Teater (Marstrandgata) | Show |
| May 20, 2009 – Store scene Black Box Teater (Marstrandgata) | Show |
| May 16, 2009 – Store scene Black Box Teater (Marstrandgata) | Show |
| May 15, 2009 – Store scene Black Box Teater (Marstrandgata) | Show |
| May 14, 2009 – Store scene Black Box Teater (Marstrandgata) | Worldwide premiere |
"The History of Bestiality Part Four is an engaged, flaming attack on war, our humanist civilization’s brutal and inhuman backside. This is valid, political theatre, and when it has as strong effect as it has, it is because Fantastic Four makes no attempt of moralising or suggesting that a better world is possible, but finds it sufficient to provide a many-faceted, covering image of humans’ nature of war. However, what makes The History of Bestiality Four a unique theatre experience is on one side the realist narration technique, on the other the many different visual effects in use. The innovative mix of imagination and reality makes the production a highly unusual and very convincing piece of documentary theatre."
Larsen, IdaLou (28.05.2009). Review titled Engasjerende antikrigs dokumentar (literally: Involving anti-war documentary). IdaLou Larsen, idalou.org, 03.10.2020, http://www.idalou.no/pub/idalou/kritikker/?aid=720
"In an expansive theatre production such as this it is difficult to draw out one single message. It is rather such that the members of the audience choose for themselves among the truths and expressions presented. (...) There is much to constipate from an uncompromising company and it is not necessary to understand all the choices made. Fantastic Four doesn’t necessarily deliver a perfect performance, but they are important in Norwegian performing arts."
Nystøyl, Karen Frøsland (15.15.2009). Bestialsk finale. NRK, nrk.no, 03.10.2010, http://www.nrk.no/kultur-og-underholdning/1.6611975