A pyromaniac

Ashes was nominated for the Hedda Award in 2015 in the category best audiovisual design. The jury wrote: “Ashes is a poetic and brutal work of visual theater that describes how quickly creative impulses can turn to destructive compulsions. A story full of fire, wildness, agitation and love. The performance is inspired by the Brage-prizewinning novel Før jeg brenner ned by Gaute Heivoll, which tells the story of a pyromaniac in the village of Finsland. Ashes explores the sharp knife-edge that young people walk between madness and normality.”

The performers were: Amador Artiga, Aitor Sanz Juanes, Andreu Martinez Costa and Pierre Tual. 

 We have chosen to focus on the principal character, the Pyromaniac. This character was realistically constructed, both with regard to facial and physical expression. The face was probably constructed in clay and then cast directly onto the clay. According to Yngvild Aspeli’s website, she forms the faces herself in order to get to know the characters.

The photographs show that the character wears a brown shirt in a cotton-like material and a brown scarf around his neck.

The characters in this production are of different sizes, but the Pyromaniac was a large puppet. From the photos he looks to be around the size of a human being.

The above description is based on photographs. 

The human-sized puppets were probably constructed like mannequins: realistically constructed with joints and limbs, in order to create human-like movements and expressions. Mannequins can be constructed in many different ways – here the inspiration is undoubtedly the work of Philippe Genty and his company, where Aspeli studied. In this production, Genty was an external advisor.

Aspeli and her ensemble make interesting and important changes to the relationship and interaction between puppet and performer. She explores the space between performer and puppet – which she states to be a key dramatic mechanism in her productions.

The above description is based on photographs.

Yngvild Aspeli is a Norwegian director, performer and puppet maker, educated at L'École Internationale de Théâtre Jacques Lecoq (Paris)and Institutt International de la Marionette in Charleville-Mézières (France).Yngvild Aspeli leads the French theatre company Plexus Polaire, which comprises French and Spanish artists and performers.

In autumn 2022, Yngvild Aspeli was appointed artistic director for Nordland Visual Theatre.

The production was supported by:The Mouffetard – Theatre of Puppetry Arts inParis, Centre de création et de production de la Maison de Culture de Nevers et de la Nièvre (FR), Théâtre du fil de l'eau (FR), Théâtre de la Girandole (FR), La Nef Manufacture d'utopies (FR), NorthTrøndelag Theatre(NO),Arts Council Norway, Fond For Lyd og Bilde (NO), Le Conseil Générale du Département de la Seine-Saint-Denis (FR), La ARCADI (FR), Direction des Affaires Culturelles -DRAC Bourgogne (FR), Fritt Ord (NO), Charleville-Mézières (FR), Collectif Grand réservoirandNordlandCounty Council / Nordland Visual Theatre.