"The Painter"
From the production "The Painter", collaboration between Ulrike Quade Company, Jo Strømgren Kompani, Nordland Visual Theatre and Oldenburgisches Staatstheater
The Painter was produced to mark two anniversaries: 150 years since the birth of Edvard Munch (1863-1944) and 140 years since the birth of van Gogh.
The idea and concept was by Jo Strømgren, Marc Becker and Ulrike Quade. The script was written by Marc Becker. Ulrike Quade and Maria Landgraf were responsible for the puppets, Jo Strømgren for direction.
The target audience for the production was adults, and the production was premiered on 4 June 2013 as part of Stamsund Theatre Festival. The production was rehearsed in 4 languages: English, German, French and Dutch.
The project received funding from The Norwegian Arts Council, Performing Arts Fund (NL) and the City of Amsterdam (NL).
Information
(Objekt ID 130920)| Object type | Puppet |
| Production date | June 4, 2013 |
| Category | Puppeteer and puppet |
| Themes | Adult |
| Size | Approx 160 cm, the same height as the puppeteers |
| License | Nordland Visual Theatre, Jo Strømgren Kompani and Ulrike Quade Productions. |
Teaterfigur
Teaterfigurer, bedre kjent som teaterdukker, har spilt på norske scener i generasjoner, til stor glede for publikum i alle aldersgrupper.
The production’s plot (from Nordland Visual Theatre’s website):
A television show brings to life the historical figures Munch and van Gogh. Confronted with life in modern times, they refuse to submit to "the game". Both artists were born at the time when modernism was dawning. In The Painter, the huge contrast between our society’s tendency to idolise artists and the criticism of the artists’ work by the middle classes in their time is one of the themes.
The actors and puppeteers were Ulrike Quade and Cat Smits.
Sources: figurteateret.no/produksjoner. Sceneweb.no
Donor: Nordland Visual Theatre, 15.09. 2022.
The heads of both puppets (Munch and van Gogh) were carved out of foam rubber. Foam rubber can be hollowed out on the inside so that the puppeteer can perform with his/her hand inside the puppet’s head. This makes it possible for the puppeteer to move the puppet’s face.
The eyes were made of glass beads and they have a realistic appearance. Young Munch has a lot of hair, probably artificial; the older Munch has little hair which was presumably made out of foam rubber.
The above description is based on photographs.
In this production, both the principal puppets (Munch and van Gogh) were constructed using the same technique. Technically they are a hybrid between hand and rod puppets. The puppet has one arm and hand made of foam rubber and a small rod fixed to the forearm so that it can be moved by the puppeteer. The puppeteer’s other hand moves the puppet’s head and body. Alternatively there may be a rod fixed to the puppet’s head, which the puppeteer can move in order to perform with the puppet.
The performers were visible on stage along with the puppets, and the subject matter of The Painter along with the puppets’ construction suggests that the acting style was realistic, as far as possible.
The above description is based on photographs.
In addition to the production companies already mentioned, Oldenburgisches Staatstheater and Riksteatret also contributed to this production.
For more information, see:
- www.figurteatret.no/produksjoner (in Norwegian),
- www.ulrikequade.nl/en/munch-and-van-gogh-scream-of-the-sunflower/
- jskompani.no/productions/25
| Ulrike Quade (person) | – Designer, Puppet Maker |
| Maria Landgraf (person) | – Designer, Puppet Maker |
| Nordland Visual Theatre (organization) | – Creator |
| Jo Strømgren Kompani (organization) | – Creator |
| Oldenburgisches Staatstheater (organization) | – Creator |
| Ulrike Quade Productions / Ulrike Quade Company (organization) | – Creator |
| The Painter (production) | – Other figures |