The passenger
From the production From Peer Gynt (1978), The Norwegian Touring Theatre
In 1978, The Norwegian Touring Theatre marked the 150th anniversary of the birth of Henrik Ibsen (1828) with the production Peer Gynt, performed with puppets, masks and actors. Margareta Niculescu directed the production, and the stage design and puppet design were made by Elisabeta (Ella) Conovici. The production had its premiere at Lillehammer November 1, 1978. The target group included both adults and youth.
Information
(Objekt ID 105951)| Object type | Puppet |
| Production date | Navember 1, 1978 |
| Category | Rod puppet |
| Size | Approximately 180 centimetres tall |
| License | The Norwegian Touring Theatre. Copyright. |
In one photo, the passenger is shown with the old Peer in Act five, aboard a ship in The North Sea. It is not known who played the passenger.
Sceneweb refers to the other puppets registered from the production Peer Gynt. These are Peer Gynt, Mother Aase, The green-clad woman, Three-headed trolls, The Old Man of the Dovre, and The Button Moulder.
SOURCES:
Mona Wiig's private archive
The Norwegian Touring Theatre's archive, playbill from the production
Donated by: The Norwegian Touring Theatre. Mona Wiig.
Transported 02.11.2019.
The head of the passenger was a mask shaped from Styrofoam, after which it was fortified with textile and glue, and then painted. The body consisted of a large piece of fabric that could be moved using two long rods, one vertical and one horizontal.
The construction was simple: A cross consisting of two long rods. The horizontal rod was fastened to a point at the vertical rod, and could be moved up and down. The puppeteer held onto the rod with the head with one hand, and moved the horizontal rod with the other. In this interpretation of Peer Gynt, the passenger was visualised as the devil.
Many photos were taken of the puppets in this production. Sceneweb hopes for a permit to present them eventually.
| Elisabeta Georgeta Conovici (person) | – Stage designer, Designer |
| The Norwegian Touring Theatre (Riksteatret) (organization) | – Creator |
| Teatrul Tandarica (organization) | – Creator |
| Peer Gynt (production) | – Rod puppet |