Me Near

Me Near is a play by Arne Lygre. The original title in Norwegian is Meg nær. The play had its world premiere at The National Theatre of Norway in 2019.

Arne Lygre was nominated for The Hedda Award 2019 in the best text for the stage category for Me Near. Lygre also was nominated for The Norwegian Ibsen Award 2020 for Me Near.

The Norwegian Ibsen Award's jury gave the following description of the play:

"Me Near is a linguistic examination of closeness and distance. The characters exist in an existential room, where emotions are tested, relations are put against each other, and decisions have to be made. This way, a complex and nuanced text about social and relational discomfort is created, about the fear of and the need to be alone. Lygre's use of language and form creates a paradoxical relationship to closeness. The distance that arises, shows how existential closeness is. Through Lygre's exploration of the theatre's language and its different perspectives, words are transformed into events. The characters place themselves in a finely tuned and precise way, through language and action, and through this, they challenge each other's balance points."

SOURCES:

The municipality of Skien, press release 03.03.2020

The Hedda Award, www.heddaprisen.no, 16.10.19, https://www.heddaprisen.no/nominerte/2019