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Svanene over Irland* (The Swans over Ireland)

Svanene over Irland* (The Swans over Ireland) (2007) is a production for children by Kulturproduksjoner springing out from Irish myths and legends. The text is new, and shaped in the form of a dramatic storytelling monologue, broken up by acts of music, song and shadow play.

*Not yet translated into English. The title within parentheses is the Norwegian title's literal meaning.

Information

(Objekt ID 1175)
Object type Production
Original title In Norwegian: Svanene over Irland
Premiere 2007
Produced by Kulturproduksjoner
Residency SEANSE – centre for art production
Audience Children, Adults (from 6 to 13)
Language Norwegian
Keywords Musical theatre, Performance for children, Puppetry
Running period 2007  
Website Kulturproduksjoner, SEANSE - senter for kunstproduksjon

Requirements to venue

Minimum stage width 7m
Minimum stage depth 5m
Minimum stage height 3m
Blackout Yes
Rigging time 90 minutes
Downrigging time 30 minutes
Audience 120
More

In Svanene over Irland* (The Swans over Ireland) by Kulturproduksjoner myths and music are on equal footing in the narrative. The story about the transformed children of King Lir has the releasing power of art as its main subject, a force so strong it is able to free the king’s children from the spell cast on them, as well as reconcile bitter destinies on the individual and collective level.

Svanene over Irland is the third part of the concert theatre trilogy by Kulturproduksjoner, inspired by the music of composer and fiddler Martine Lund Hoel. Her music finds inspiration in different cultural circles, and this has been a basis for the work with the trilogy, in which music has a large and independent place.

First part of the trilogy was the production The Singing Fiddle of Balkan character, the next was Into the Kingdom of Peer Gynt which was decidedly Norwegian. In the third part of the project Svanene over Irland we enter the Irish sounds of Martine Lund Hoel, a tradition she has felt closely related to.

Svanene over Irland was supported by The Cultural Rucksack in Hedmark, Arts Council Norway, the production workshop Prøvekluten and The Fund for Performing Artists.

Sources:

Performing Arts Hub Norway, 11.12.2010, http://www.danseogteatersentrum.no/sck/members.shtml?lang=nor&sam=&cat=&gen=&cou=&cri=Kulturproduksjoner&aid=95&prid=5&act=prod

Kulturproduksjoner, kulturprod.no, 11.12.2010, http://www.kulturprod.no/index.php/aktuelle/11-svanene-over-irland-2007

*Not yet translated into English. The title within parentheses is the Norwegian title's literal meaning.

Contributors (14)
Name Role
Karen Høie – Playwright
Svein Gundersen (teater) – Direction
Martine Kraft – Composition
Svein Gundersen (teater) – Dramaturge
Henrik Kolind – Visual design (Plakat og flyer)
Svein Gundersen (teater) – Stage design
Denise Bredvig – Costume design
Nils Jørgen Nygaard – Musical arrangement
Karen Høie – Actor
Martine Kraft – Musician
Nils Jørgen Nygaard – Musician
Karen Høie – Singer
Helga Meta Høie – Puppet maker
Karen Høie – Producer
Performance dates
2011 New opening
2007 Opening night
Press coverage

Marit Elise Lyngstad, date unknown, Hamar Arbeiderblad [Hamar]:
"Høie lives into the story and manages to keep the attention of the audience all the way. The stage design is simple but efficient, and the nice shadow plays engage the imagination. The performers’ costumes are good, too, with Lund Hoel in swan-like attire while Høie was dressed in beautiful Irish green. The music completes the story in a very good way, and expresses all the emotions words can’t cover. Nils Jørgen Nygaard’s beautiful arrangements and nice performance on a diversity of string instruments fill out the performance."