Babette's Feast
Babette's Feast (2016) is an interactive theatre production by the Danish theatre company Ope-n, based on the short story by Karen Blixen, transformed into an interactive project after an idea by Louise Beck. The production was performed in Landås Lystgård during Bergen International Festival 2018 and at Tonehuset in Harstad during Arctic Arts Festival the same year.
Egill Pálsson directed it.
Henrik Birch plays the role of the dinner host. The invited guests vary on a per performance basis.
Arctic Arts Festival refers to this production by its original Danish title, Fortællingen om et Gæstebud, whereas Bergen International Festival refers to it as Babettes gjestebud, which is the Norwegian title for Babette's Feast. In Harstad, the county of Troms' division for culture, represented by Håvard Lund, takes part by performing live music.
Information
(Objekt ID 85544)| Object type | Production |
| Produced by | Ope-n |
| Based on | Babette's Feast by Karen Blixen |
| Running period | 2016 |
"With Karen Blixen’s famous story Babette's Feast in hand, we invite the audience to a celebration meal at Lystgården in Landås.
While we eat and drink, we bring to life the story of the foreign master chef Babette, who revives a small, enclosed society in Northern Norway. We invite 12 people to join us at the table, asking them to represent the guests depicted by Blixen in her story. At Babette’s table are seated the haughty as well as the good-hearted, and bickering old gossips and other prominent figures also find their way to the feast – and they all come to life during the meal.
In addition to the 12 seats around the table, a small audience will also be present and involved in the story while tasting samples of the food throughout.
This interactive performance is hosted by Henrich Birch, known from TV-series Borgen, Badehotellet, and Forbrytelsen (The Killing); Agnes Vevle Tvinnerheim, who has played a central part in the restauration of Lystgården and serves as the evening’s host; and storyteller and linguist Vibeke Koehler, who is narrating the story.
There will be two feasts at Lystgården. The participators are handpicked for the first one, while the seats are open to the audience the second time, and anyone who wishes to fill one of the roles, may apply at www.fib.no/babette."
SOURCES:
Bergen International Festival, 06.04.2018, www.fib.no, http://www.fib.no/en/Programme/?TLp=1285957
Ope-n, 17.04.18, www.ope-n.dk, https://www.ope-n.dk/944612688034
Arctic Arts Festival, festspillnn.no, 08.05.2018, http://festspillnn.no/nb/program/2018/fortellingen-om-et-gjestebud-nodk
| Name | Role |
|---|---|
| Karen Blixen | – Text |
| Louise Beck | – Concept/Idea |
| Egill Heiðar Pálsson | – Direction |
| June 24, 2018 (Arctic Arts Festival) | Show |
| June 3, 2018 (Bergen International Festival) | Show |
| May 27, 2018 (Bergen International Festival) | Show |
| Arctic Arts Festival | June 24, 2018 |
| Bergen International Festival | May 27, 2018 |