Motortown

Based on the play Motortown by Simon Stephens OIT arranged two separate workshops in November 2011: One workshop for playwrights with Simon Stephens November 23 - 25 2011, and one for directors and actors with Ramin Gray November 21 - 24 2011. Prior to this, Ramin Gray had directed the original production of Motortown at Royal Court Theatre in London.

The workshop was arranged in English and was open to Norwegian as well as international participators. After it Dramatikkens hus arranged an onstage conversation with Ramin Gray, Simon Stephens and Jon Fosse, led by Kai Johnsen.

Royal Court Theatre wrote the following, among other things, about Motortown:

"Danny returns from Basra to a foreign England and a different kind of battle. He visits an old flame, buys a gun and goes on a blistering road trip through the new home front. Written during the London bombings of 2005, Motortown is a fierce, violent and controversial response to the anti-war movement - and to the war itself. Chaotic and complex, powerful and provocative, Simon Stephen's play portrays a volatile and morally insecure world."

At the webpage of Oslo International Theatre Ramin Gray and Simon Stephens were introduced as follows:

"Ramin Gray
Ramin Gray is a leading British theatre and opera director with an impressive track record. Gray has directed productions in Salzburg, Paris, Moscow and Hamburg as well as France, India and Uganda. In Britain he has directed for the Royal Shakespeare Company, been associate director at the Royal Court Theatre and is currently artistic director of ATC.

Simon Stephens
Simon Stephens is one of Britain's most performed contemporary playwrights, both at home and abroad. His plays have been performed at National Theatre London, Gester Theatre in Tel Aviv, Steep Theatre in Chicago and Schauspielhaus Hanover as well as theatres in Stuttgart, Salzburg, Hamburg, Zurich and Berlin. In 2006 he received the prestigious Laurence Olivier Award for his play On The Shore Of The Wide World."

Source:

Oslo International Theatre, oslointernasjonaleteater.com, 14.09.2012, http://oslointernasjonaleteater.com/2011/07/10/motortown-av-simon-stephens/