Bell-check
Bell-check (2010) was a production by Barske Glæder Productions. Bell-check was based on Janne Langaas' play with the same title. The production was a visual documentary theatre production about the pioneers of the Norwegian oil adventure.
Director was Lene Therese Teigen.
Janne Langaas was the actor.
Information
(Objekt ID 25819)| Object type | Production |
| Premiere | Navember 19, 2010 |
| Produced by | Barske Glæder Productions |
| In collaboration with | The Norwegian Theatre |
| Based on | Bell-check by Janne Langaas |
| Audience | Adults, Youth |
| Audience size | 359 |
| Number of events | 9 |
| Language | Norwegian and Norwegian Nynorsk |
| Keywords | Documentary, Theatre, Political Theatre, Multimedia |
| Running period | Navember 19, 2010 — Navember 27, 2010 |
| Duration | One hour |
| Website | Barske Glæder Produksjoner |
Requirements to venue
| Blackout | Yes |
Bell-check by Barske Glæder Productions was a political documentary discussing the divers' decline in life quality, as a consequence of the effort they made to lay piping down at 360 meters sea depth to lead gas to the plant at Kårstø in the county of Rogaland.
It turned out that diving so deep had disastrous consequences for the physical and mental health of the divers. The government and the oil companies took no responsibility. Towards the end of the 1990es the divers organised, and several of them have sued the government.
The Norwegian Theatre housed the production and writes:
"During the 1960es Norway was a small, barren country at the outskirts of Europe. During the 1970es and 80es the country developed into one of the richest in the world. The Norwegian oil adventure is about the Continental Shelf and Jens Evensen, Phillips and Statoil. The pioneer divers were tough boys with high salaries. But who has heard the voices of the boys doing the hardest work at the bottom of the ocean?"
The production was supported by Arts Council Norway, the Freedom of Expression Foundation Fritt Ord, Spenn.no and The Fund for Performing Artists.
Sources:
The Norwegian Theatre, 21.12.2011, http://www.detnorsketeatret.no/Default.aspx?Tabid=65&PlayId=379
Barske Glæder Productions, 21.12.2011, http://www.jannelangaas.no/bellcheck.html
| Name | Role |
|---|---|
| Janne Langaas | – Script |
| Lene Therese Teigen | – Direction |
| Tov Ramstad | – Music |
| Lene Therese Teigen | – Dramaturge |
| Merete Bostrøm | – Stage design |
| Marianne Thallaug Wedset | – Stage design |
| Merete Bostrøm | – Costume design |
| Aase-Hilde Brekke | – Video/Film |
| Tov Ramstad | – Sound design |
| Tov Ramstad | – Sound design |
| Marianne Thallaug Wedset | – Lighting design |
| Janne Langaas | – Actor |
| Knut Alfsen | – Voiceover |
| Sibeth Hoff | – Voiceover |
| Anne E. Kokkin | – Voiceover |
| Arnhild Litleré | – Voiceover (Advokatens stemme) |
| Hallvard Lydvo | – Voiceover |
| Terje Ranes | – Voiceover |
| Janne Langaas | – Producer |
| Navember 19, 2010 – Scene 3 (tidligere Prøvesalen), Det Norske Teatret, The Norwegian Theatre | Worldwide premiere |
IdaLou Larsen, En politisk dokumentar (literally: Political documentary), Klassekampen 22.11.10., http://idalou.no/pub/idalou/kritikker/?aid=1458:
"By staging the North Sea divers' destiny as pure documentary theatre in Bell-check, Janne Langaas expands the perspective of the very theatre field.
Bell-check is far from theatre in the ordinary meaning of the word. Here is no plot, nothing is fictional. As the program underlines, 'everything said onstage is found in reality. From reports, text books. Interviews with divers and other professionals.'.
The stage image consists of four white areas in which changing video projections illustrate and supply the narration of Janne Langaas. Here we get to see nine divers tell about their experiences from the oil rigs, and two children questioning what is presented, in a wondering manner. Janne Langaas play a researcher presenting the case, commenting on it and sometimes discussing with the court institution.
With Bell-check Janne Langaas shows that documentary theatre is not just apt as an illustrator of current-interest stories, but actually expands the perspective of the whole theatre field."