Trial of the Century

In her speech during the awards ceremony for Norwegian Critics Award for theatre 2016/2017, Therese Bjørneboe said the following, among other things, about Trial of the Century:

"Giving this year's Norwegian Critics' Award to Morten Traavik - and the constellation Traavik. info - for this year's definitively most spectacular theatre project, is a great joy. Trial of the Century - arranged during the festival Barents Spektakel in Kirkenes, during three afternoons in a row, from February 9 to 11.

In a text about the production, I wrote that Traavik enters the conflicts where they burn, and gives them the format they need. This is a metaphor, and this is tangible - Trial of the Century played out in an outdoor amphitheatre, built by 190 tons of ice. The ice had been fetched from the lake Andrevannet, near Kirkenes, by the artist Peder Isdal and the team. Allegedly, it broke all records for ice sculptures, in Norway and in the Nordic countries. But Trial of the Century was a double staging. On one hand, it revived the Greek concept of the theatre as a national institution for formation and a public arena for discussion. On the other, the arena for debate was put on ice - and about to melt. One didn't have to know the Bible to read the scripture on the wall. While we talk, the poles melt."

The speech can be read in full at the webpage of Norwegian Critics' Association (Norwegian-language version only).

SOURCES:

Morten Traavik, traavik.info, 28.09.17 http://www.traavik.info/projects/trial-of-the-century/

Norwegian Critics' Association, www.kritikerlaget.no, 28.09.17, http://kritikerlaget.no/saker/teaterkritikerprisen-2016-2017