The Duck Variations

The Duck Variations (2003) was a performance by Verk Produksjoner AKA Verk Productions.

Information

(Objekt ID 1942)
Object type Production
Premiere October 1, 2003
Produced by Verk Produksjoner
Based on The Duck Variations by David Mamet
Audience Youth, Adults (from 16)
Language Norwegian and Swedish
Keywords Theatre, Drama, Physical theatre
Running period October 1, 2003  —  February 16, 2008
Duration 1 hour

Requirements to venue

Minimum stage width 8m
Minimum stage depth 8m
Minimum stage height 3m
Blackout Yes
Rigging time 60 minutes
Downrigging time 45 minutes
Audience 200
More

In The Duck Variations by David Mamet/Verk Produksjoner AKA Verk Productions two men are sitting on a bench in a park. The conversation appears to be about the sex lives of ducks, but soon they reveal their thoughts about laws of nature, friendship and death. The material is light and fragmented; the two voices as one.

Verk took Mamet's stage directions seriously and cultivated the simple and direct in The Duck Variations. Everything was cut down to the essential; the presence and the meeting between two persons, as between the actors, the audience and the text, accompanied by jazz music.

The venue was a white rectangle/a white floor, a ring of light circling large parts of the white surface. On each side of the ring of light stood two salon chairs from the 1970es, and back, to the left, was a screen with slides of ducks – later in the performance there is also a slide show at the backdrop in the middle, towards a half-dry branch and some green balloons. Lights in green, white, yellow, pink, blink calmly at the rear part of the stage.

(...)

Platou (sound) sits on the left side, outside of the white floor.

The men keep changing shirts, seemingly at the start of a new variation. The acting style was a mix of physical and epic style.

Sources:

The Open Theatre (Det Åpne Teater), detapneteater.no, 26.10.2010, http://www.detapneteater.no/pub/daat/forestillinger/?aid=579&cid=17&sac=all&viewall=1#daat

Verk Produksjoner, verkproduksjoner.no, 12.08.2010, http://verkproduksjoner.no/

Contributors (9)
Name Role
David Mamet – Playwright
Fredrik Hannestad – Stage design
Anders Mossling – Stage design
Joachim Hamou – Costume design
Per Platou – Sound design
Fredrik Hannestad – Actor
Saila Hyttinen – Actor
Anders Mossling – Actor
Saila Hyttinen – Director’s assistant
Performance dates
February 16, 2008Hallen, The Open Theatre (Det Åpne Teater) Show
February 15, 2008Hallen, The Open Theatre (Det Åpne Teater) New opening
December 10, 2005Turbinehallerne Show
October 23, 2005Lille scene (Marstrandgata), Black box teater Show
October 22, 2005Lille scene (Marstrandgata), Black box teater New opening
July 22, 2005 Show
March 14, 2004Høstscena, Ålesund Theatre Festival Show
October 28, 2003Teaterhuset Avant Garden Show
October 27, 2003Teaterhuset Avant Garden Show
October 4, 2003Parkteatret Scene Show
October 3, 2003Parkteatret Scene Show
October 2, 2003Parkteatret Scene Show
October 1, 2003Parkteatret Scene National premiere, Norway
Festivals (1)
Ålesund Theatre Festival March 14, 2004
Press coverage

"Philosophical pearls, clichés and meaninglessness phrases are interwoven in a seamless, jolly change of words. Layer is put on layer as in a dream: From duck to human, from hunter to the destiny of the duck, from environmental policies to the bench in the park. (...) We laugh, wonder and try to construct a complete meaning from a musical melting pot of small talk. The experience of not understanding is absurd, serious and laughter-provoking. They strive, we laugh of their striving. Just like that is life."

Frida Holsten Gullestad

"In an understated, humorous manner the two by the pond seek for meaning and truth. And indeed, they try to defy gravity! (...) They give us a low-key, quiet and warm performance which is pretty trivial on the outside, but with a subtext feeding endless associations and after-thoughts."

Amund Grimstad. Klassekampen