Kokila

Kokila (2002) produced by Visjoner Teater is a production in which actresses originating from countries such as Iran, India, Pakistan and Bangladesh tell their own stories.

Information

(Objekt ID 5935)
Object type Production
Premiere September 8, 2002
Produced by Visjoner Teater
Audience Youth, Adults
Audience size 2050
Number of events 27
Language Norwegian
Keywords Dance, Theatre, Dance theatre
Running period September 8, 2002  —  October 23, 2004
Duration 1 hour 30 minutes
Website Visjoner Teater

Requirements to venue

Blackout Yes
More

Kokila – mellom barken og veden* (Kokila – between the bark and the wood) asks questions such as: Where is my loyalty and where do I find the truth to live according to? On what do I build my identity? Who am I?

How is it, really, to be a girl in Norway today, to be Norwegian and at the same time part of another culture? Recently much has been written about being a woman of origin from more than one culture, but what hides between the newspaper headlines? How do the girls and women assess their daily life in Norway, how is it to live between two cultures and two sets of lifestyles being so different, living between the bark and the wood, so to speak**? "I was born and have grown up in Norway, but a large part of me still is Pakistani".

Kokila tells stories from daily life: Dreams and longing, the relationship to men, boyfriends, fathers, brothers. Always seen from two perspectives, with two sets of realities.

The actresses have never before been gathered onstage, and through Kokila they get to tell many stories and the audience gets an insight in how it is to live the way they do, between the bark and the wood, between two cultures and two sets of lifestyles.

Actors in Kokila: Susan Badrkhan (only the first performances), Neeru Agarwal, Urmila Berg Domås, Bibi Razia, Lavleen Kaur and Sandra Sjasmin Lindstrøm.

Direction: Juni Dahr and Tonje Gotschalksen

Dramaturge: Gunnhild Nymoen

Producer and idea: Marianne Roland

Source:

Program text Kokila.

*Not yet translated into English. The title within parentheses is the Norwegian title's literal meaning.

**Between the bark and the wood is a direct translation of the Norwegian idiom "mellom barken og veden", an idiom referring to be stuck in between different interests, much like the English "between a rock and a hard place".

Contributors (16)
Name Role
Marianne Roland – Idea
Juni Dahr – Concept/Idea
Tonje Gotschalksen – Concept/Idea
Juni Dahr – Direction
Tonje Gotschalksen – Direction
Juni Dahr – Instruction
Tonje Gotschalksen – Instruction
Gunhild Nymoen – Dramaturge
Gunhild Nymoen – Dramaturge
Neeru Agarwal – Performer
Susan Badrkhan – Performer
Urmila Berg-Domaas – Performer
Lavleen Kaur – Performer
Sandra Jasmin Lindstrøm – Performer
Bibi Razia – Performer
Marianne Roland – Producer
Press coverage

Kokila got much press coverage. TV2 made a special documentary about the process towards the opening, broadcasted in January 2003. More TV coverage: NRK1's Redaksjon 1 broadcasted September 5, NRK1's Safari, broadcasted September 16, TV2 with Dorte Skappel, Radio: P2's Kulturbeitet. 

Reviews:

Aftenposten September 10. Elisabeth Rygg:
"Voices captivating"

Dagsavisen: September 11. Gunhild Lervåg:
"Unpredictable. Fun. Important."

Budstikka: September 13. Hanne Wien, rating the performance as worthy of six pips on the dice:
"Revelling in prejudice"