The Song of the Say-Sayer
The Song of the Say-Sayerwas a theatre production produced by The Norwegian Theatre in 2003, based on the play by Daniel Danis.
Runar Hodne directed it.
Kari Gravklev won The Hedda Award 2003 in the best visual design category for her stage design.
The Hedda Jury gave the following reason:
"This year's Hedda Award for best stage design goes to a versatile artist, working as naturally with the classic and the modern drama. The award winner's style is characterised by an analytic approach to the material, and a brave, varied stage design expression.
Last season the award winner created a stage design with a metaphoric visual expression, making it into a modern and complex narrative. The stage design was simple, took part in the creation, it was ambiguous and beautiful. We could also see an architectonical unity made up by the auditorium and the stage. The best stage design award this year goes to one of our leading stage designers. She continuously celebrates triumphs, nationally as well as internationally.
Kari Gravklev!!"
Information
(Objekt ID 32180)| Object type | Production |
| Premiere | March 5, 2003 |
| Produced by | The Norwegian Theatre |
| Based on | The Song of the Say-Sayer by Daniel Danis |
| Audience | Adults, Youth |
| Audience size | 1455 |
| Number of events | 22 |
| Language | Norwegian Nynorsk |
| Keywords | Theatre |
| Running period | March 5, 2003 |
"The Song of the Say-Sayer is a rare piece of drama, strong and strange. In a dream-like, imagination-rich language French-Canadian Daniel Danis tells an amazing story. He lets three brothers tell how they became orphans during a terrible storm, about the strange machine the Say-Sayer, with which they share language, sorrows and joys, and first and foremost about the relationship to the singing sister who returns from a tour, completely destroyed. The brothers join forces in a brotherhood of love, against an insensible society, wanting to take the sister away from them, to put her inside of an institution. But the brotherhood of love is tormented by inner struggles, threatening to destroy the alliance from the inside. Aided by the forces of nature they eventually win a kind of victory against the greater society.
Kjærleikscompagniet
When working with the production, the band Kjærleikscompagniet (literally: The Love Company) was created, with Anders Baasmo Christiansen singing and playing the harmonica, Ole Johan Skjelbred singing and playing the guitar, and Nicolai Cleve Broch singing and playing the bass. Kjærleikscompagniet made its stage debut on the ferry between Norway and Denmark, and had several gigs in Oslo. They also released the singles My heart and Who’s gonna take your boots off, both written by Aslak Dørum (from Dumdum Boys)."
Sources:
The Norwegian Theatre on The Song of the Say-Sayer, www.detnorsketeatret.no, 05.11.2012, http://www.detnorsketeatret.no/index.php?option=com_play&view=play&playid=306
Sceneweb on The Hedda Award 2003, www.sceneweb.no, 24.10.2012, http://www.sceneweb.no/en/awarding/23886/The_Hedda_Award_2003-2003
| Name | Role |
|---|---|
| Daniel Danis | – Playwright |
| Ole Johan Skjelbred | – Translation |
| Runar Hodne | – Direction |
| Aslak Dørum | – Music |
| Cecilia Ölveczky | – Dramaturge |
| Kari Gravklev | – Stage design |
| Kari Gravklev | – Costume design |
| Terje Wolmer | – Lighting design |
| Nicolai Cleve Broch | – Actor (Stein) |
| Anders Baasmo Christiansen | – Actor (Fred-Jakop) |
| Ole Johan Skjelbred | – Actor (William) |
| Nina Bloch | – Mask design |
| March 5, 2003 – Scene 2, Det Norske Teatret, The Norwegian Theatre | National premiere, Norway |