My Long Journey Home
My Long Journey Home is the first part of NIE's European narrative Trilogy.
My Long Journey Home was based on the true story of Andras Tomas, a 17 year old Hungarian boy who was press ganged by the Wermacht in 1942, taken to fight on the Eastern Front in Stalingrad. No one knows for sure what happened to him, but he became a patient in a mental hospital in the region of Kiev in 1947. In 1949, he had recovered, but he didn’t speak Russian and no one knew where he came from, and he was kept in detention. He was found by coincidence in 2000 and sent back to the village he left 55 years before.
Information
(Objekt ID 2223)| Object type | Production |
| Produced by | New International Encounter |
| Based on | My Long Journey Home by |
| Audience | Youth, Adults (from 13) |
| Number of events | 300 |
| Language | Norwegian, Czech, English, German and Russian |
| Keywords | Theatre, Storytelling theatre, Musical theatre, Puppetry, Pantomime |
| Website | NIE: New International Encounter: Visual Theatre |
Requirements to venue
| Minimum stage width | 6m |
| Maximum stage width | 6m |
| Minimum stage depth | 6m |
| Maximum stage depth | 6m |
| Minimum stage height | 4m |
| Maximum stage height | 4m |
| Blackout | Yes |
| Rigging time | 120 minutes |
| Downrigging time | 60 minutes |
| Audience | 120 |
In a movement back and forth in time our hero travels through Europe, where he is captured in the wind of history. He is trying to find his way back home... perhaps to the warm bath he once left and the one first love.
The theatre company New International Encounter (NIE) uses most of theatre’s effects in telling this weird, dark story. Music, light, animation, stage design, words, song, clownery, buffoon, tragedy and puppets melt together in a – despite the subjects – humorous performance.
My Long Journey Home is played in Norwegian, Czech, English and a somewhat unorthodox German and Russian. The audience is given the option to experience a multilingual art project in a new and innovative way.
NIE chose to use European destinies as inspiration for the performances. The company used everyday stories as a foundation for the work. The stories were found in the news media, on the internet etc. This material was used as a basis for research through collecting music, poetry and stories belonging in the region or period of time. The story of Andras Tamas started when NIE saw a short article about it in the newspaper.
My Long Journey Home won the jury prize at the MTM Festival in Mostar in 2001, the Grad Prix at the TiBA Festival in Belgrade in 2004, it was nominated for the Stage Awards 'Best Ensemble Performance' at the Edinburgh Festival in 2004.
Source:
NIE: New International Encounter: Visual Theatre, nie-theatre.com, 01.08.2010, http://www.nie-theatre.com/page.php?id=7
| Name | Role |
|---|---|
| Alex Byrne | – Direction |
| Katerina Houskova | – Stage design |
| Torunn Skjelland | – Sound design |
| Tomas Mechacek | – Actor |
| Kjell Moberg | – Actor |
| Robert Orr | – Actor |
| Torunn Skjelland | – Actor |
| Navember 20, 2013 11:00 – GRIPS Podewil, GRIPS Theater | Show |
| Navember 20, 2013 19:00 – GRIPS Podewil, GRIPS Theater | Show |
| July 31, 2012 15:00 – Okinawa Chamber of Commerce (Kijimuna Festa) | Show |
| July 30, 2012 19:00 – Okinawa Chamber of Commerce (Kijimuna Festa) | Show |
| 2004 (Edinburgh International Festival) | Show |
| 2004 (TIBA Festival) | Show |
| June 18, 2003 – Kulturskolen i Porsgrunn | Show |
| June 17, 2003 – Kulturskolen i Porsgrunn | Show |
| Kijimuna Festa | July 30, 2012 |
| Edinburgh International Festival | 2004 |
| TIBA Festival | 2004 |
Writer unknown, (2003, 11.03). Sunnmørsposten, Norway:
"...gripping and fascinating, the four actors tell a story of the meeting between mankind and war; about misunderstanding and incompetence, the betrayal of the system and bureaucracy, the abuse of power and the need to be heard, and all this is told in a comic light."
Writer and date unknown, The Stage UK:
"a smooth blend of storytelling, music, physical theatre, mime and even the odd puppet"
Writer and date unknown, Three Weeks Five Stars:
"This is the most tear-inducingly hilarious, stimulating, intelligent, and brilliant piece of theatre I have seen in years. The four actors are breathtaking and NIE is a seriously exciting company."
Five Stars and Fest Best Award:
"This is physical theatre, energetic and overstated, and the humour is as dark as a Siberian forest. Most Amazing of all is the set, simple and ingenious Magical Fest."