NIE – New International Encounter NORTH NORTH NORTH Education pack
1. Background to the production 2. Production synopsis 3. Press reviews 4. Key elements of NIE productions 5. Workshops 6. Educational tools – suggested activities 7. History 8. Information about NIE theatre company 9. Appendix
For more details or further information please contact NIE’s Producer Sarah Crompton: E: [email protected] T: (01223) 403 343 W: www.nie-theatre.com 1. Background to the production
Established in 2001, NIE is an award winning international and multilingual theatre company, gaining recognition and critical success for new work through tours in Europe and the UK. NIE has won festival prizes in Serbia, Norway, UK, Bosnia and the Czech Republic, and has toured to 29 countries spanning 3 continents.
Using their trademark mix of physical theatre, storytelling, multiple languages, a European ensemble and live music, NIE will take you on a comic, tragic and absurd journey up in the air and down onto the cold polar ice. Actors shout over the howling wind, transform the stage into an arctic wilderness, eat polar bear brains, and somebody gets very wet.
Development of the production
North North North began development in 2011 with a visit to Svalbard, the Northernmost inhabited place in the world. The company twice visited this landscape, once during 24 hour sunlight, and once during 24 darkness. The show was then developed at Dikkemark in Norway, North Wall Arts Centre, Oxford, and The Key Theatre, Peterborough. It premiered at The Key Theatre in May 2013 and will be touring the UK in October 2013 and March 2014.
2. Production Synopsis
North North North begins in 1930. The frozen bodies of three Swedish explorers and their belongings have been found by a group of Norwegian fisherman, amongst them, two diaries and a camera with some film inside. We are then taken to 11th July 1897, the launch day of S.A. Andree’s ill-fated exhibition to the North Pole. Andree, the first Swedish balloonist and a ‘man of science’, aims to cross the Arctic Sea in a hydrogen balloon, passing the North Pole on the way before landing safely in Alaska, Canada, or Russia. However, after taking off and disappearing into the horizon at Spitsburgen, Svalbard, the Northernmost inhabited area of the world, Andree and his two companions Knut Fraenkel and Nils Strindberg, are never seen alive again…
The cast speak four different languages throughout the piece, and employ diverse theatrical techniques to stage a story of adventure that spans three months of struggle and survival, from July to October 1897.
While the historical context for the show is at times very dark, the story is always told with humour and energy. The company’s commitment to improvisation ensures that no two performances are ever exactly alike.
Details on the set: The main elements to the set are two ladders, initially used to represent the balloon, and then later they are used as the basis for the sleds the three men pushed across the ice. The company also make extensive use of a large swathe of white muslin – first in order to project maps and original photos onto, and then later to represent the snowy conditions. As the piece progresses the rest of the stage gradually becomes strewn with items the three adventurers were carrying with them – skis, trunks full of clothes, tea sets, baskets of lemons, as well as numerous other items.
3. Press Reviews
“Director Alex Byrne has a sure hand with his material...we know that the end will not be a happy one but somehow we want history to rewrite itself…****” What’s On Stage
“A witty and darkly poignant show” @Jumped Up Theatre
“Wonderful, inventive storytelling - humorous, engaging and moving” @Harry_Waller_
“Another excellent show. Funny and poignant in equal measure. A ‘must see’”. @Paul_E_Barnes
“Absolutely terrific!” @BecksStrawberry
4. Key elements of NIE productions
Multi-lingual The show is told in the many languages that make up the mother tongues of NIE’s collaborators, but the work can be understood by anyone regardless of language. An important element in the making of our work is playing with language - confusion, misunderstanding and the struggle to be heard. The meaning of the words is demonstrated through physical performances. For crucial moments of text delivered in foreign languages, an English interpretation by another performer supports and aids understanding. This show is accessible to audiences who can easily understand and follow the meaning of the piece, and the multi lingual aspect to the work adds a richness and variety to the show. The show is played in English, Danish, Swedish and Norwegian.
Physical performances NIE draws on the traditions and European training of its members which include clown, physical comedy, animation, music, singing, dancing and story telling. The work is devised by the company and this training informs the shape of the work. There are skilled and very funny moments of physical theatre, which add energy and spirit to the show.
Live Music Throughout the show, the tone and meaning of the story is supported through integrated live music. This is composed by NIE’s musical director and is inspired by European Folk music. The music is performed by guitar, accordion, singing and double bass. The music is evocative of the desired mood, creating an aural backdrop to the show.
Strong storytelling A key element of NIE’s work is finding and telling a story in a manner clear and concise. For North North North, a strong narrative is at the core of the work and the audience leave having been taken on a journey through time and into the lives of the characters.
European perspective For North North North, the artists come from Denmark, Norway and the UK, providing a diverse and interesting company of performers.
Proven Artistic excellence NIE have a proven track record for quality work with consistently strong feedback from Artistic Assessments, and funding as a national portfolio organisation for Arts Council England. North North North will be touring venues around the UK in Autumn 2013 and Spring 2014.
Established for eleven years, the company has an impressive reputation for quality performance work, winning several international awards for previous shows. This includes festival prizes in Bosnia, Poland, Norway and Serbia (TIBA Festival in Belgrade) as well as the Herald Angel and Total Theatre award for Past Half Remembered.
5. Workshops
We have delivered a number of professional workshops (workshops for theatre professionals and higher Education level students) including workshops at Rose Bruford College in London, the International Institute of Figural Theatre in Hradec Kralove in the Czech Republic and the Odsherred Theatre School in Denmark. We also teach on the Btec Performing Arts at Parkside Community College in Cambridge.
We are able to offer workshops and masterclasses to groups from years 14 and upwards to support the show.
Workshops and Masterclasses
These can last 1.5 hours up to half a day. They can be based around specific show content and creation, our practice of devising work or general skills workshop. Workshops can vary in content and length and will be tailored to suit the specific requirements or dynamics of the group.
Post show and pre-show discussions
These are informal opportunities to meet with the company and can be arranged either before or after performances. They are centred around the creation of the specific show and working methods.
All the education work is suitable for 14 years and above.
6. Educational Tools
Before the Show suggested activities:
International Introductions
North North North is primarily performed in English; however, the performers speak a total of four different languages over the course of the show: English, Danish, Swedish and Norwegian. This activity is designed to help get your students comfortable with and excited about the possibilities of multilingualism and the “fusion and confusion of languages” that is central to the work of New International Encounter.
1. Photocopy and distribute the photo of the four explorers in Appendix 1, taking care to remove the caption. Ask your students to speculate what might be happening in the photograph. Where and when do you think this photo was taken? What relationship do you think these people have to each other? How do these people resemble or differ from people in 2013? What do you think these people’s lives were like? What do you think is happening in the photograph?
2. Ask the students to picture the men one year later, and to create a tableau showing what they’re doing. Ask them to consider what may have happened after one year and to choose one student to explain the tableau. They can make their portraits realistic or exaggerated.
3. Instruct your students to choose a language other than English, and to research the translation of certain words that are central to their tableau. It can be any language, if one of the pupils is bilingual they can teach some of their language to their classmates, or the students can select and research a language that is entirely new to them.
4. Ask for student volunteers to introduce the people in their tableau as far as possible in the language they have researched. See if the class can figure out who the people in the portrait are from the image and the language even if they don’t understand the language used. You can also ask your students to write captions for their portraits in their international language.
Focus Questions
Help your students to focus their attention by asking them the following questions.
1. What was happening in Europe in the late 19th century? How might these events have affected the men in the photograph’s lives?
2. What events from your lifetime do you think will be considered important events over a hundred years from now? How do major world events influence (or do not influence) your day-to-day life?
3. Have you ever had to have a conversation with someone who doesn’t speak the same language as you? If not, can you imagine having one? What sorts of methods could you use to communicate with someone if spoken language alone wouldn’t work?
After the Show suggested activities:
Write us a review
This is your opportunity to express your thoughts and opinions about the performance of North North North. We are really interested in hearing your views, and the more honest you can be, the more helpful it will be for us!
1. What was North North North about? 2. What parts of the performance stood out for you? 3. What were your favourite and least favourite parts of North North North? 4. Can you think of anything you would have liked to have seen done differently? 5. Were there any additional aspects of the show that stood out to you (e.g. sets, props, lighting, costumes and/or music)? How do you think these elements enhanced the show? 6. What were your feelings after you left the theatre? Did any memories particularly stay with you?
Without Words
This activity is designed to allow your students to tell stories without the need for spoken language, and also to get a taste of the process of creating performance with an ensemble – just like the members of NIE.
1. Collect a series of black and white photographs (or use the selected ones in Appendix 2 ensuring that the captions have been obscured). These can be taken from magazines, art books etc. It is best to avoid photos of celebrities or popular events.
2. Ask your students to brainstorm a list of themes for stories. These can be very general (“Love”, “War” etc). Write each theme on a small slip of paper. You’ll want about a dozen.
3. Break your students into small groups and assign each an image from your collection and two slips of paper with themes written on them.
4. Challenge each group to tell a story based on their image and their two themes. The story should be told in a series of three to six tableaus using the bodies of the group members. You can also encourage them to incorporate props. One of their tableaus should be a reproduction of the original image that you gave them.
5. Explain that each of story should include a beginning, middle and an end. Assign them ten to fifteen minutes to create and refine their image sequences and then share with the group.
7. Living through history The Historical Context of North North North
The Race to the North Pole At the close of the 19th century, explorers across the world regarded the North Pole as the last big challenge in the Northern Hemisphere. The desire to conquer the Pole quickly turned into an international race with teams from all over Europe and the USA battling it out for the accolade of being first to reach it.
Arctic exploration dominated popular culture in Europe and America, in a similar way that space exploration would in the following century. Both pursuits involved heavily competitive races for major geographic prizes; leading to potential fame and honour for returning travellers; yet both shared an alarmingly high risk of death and accident, which sometimes provoked calls for the efforts to be stopped.
Salomon Andree, the failed 1896 expedition Salomon Andree was the first man to ever consider reaching the North Pole in a hydrogen balloon and had, in 1896,attempted a similar balloon launch. The event gained widespread support and captured the nation’s attention. Therefore, when adverse weather prevented the expedition from even leaving the ground, Andree returned to Stockholm to find himself the target of widespread scorn and ridicule. Many assumed that Andree’s claims had been a wild fantasy and merely an attempt to give himself publicity. Seen in this context, it is easy to see why Andree would have wanted to ensure that the 1897 expedition was a success by whatever means necessary.
1897 expedition The 1897 expedition came at a huge cost (approximately £650,000 in today’s money). This was largely funded by Alfed Nobel (the inventor of dynamite and founder of The Nobel Prize), and King Oscar II of Sweden. Due to the high-profile nature of his financial backers, Andree’s expedition was received with great enthusiasm and a wave of patriotic support from the Swedish public. This, alongside the memory of the failed 1896 expedition which had temporarily sullied his reputation, may partly explain why Andree chose to persevere despite the discovery of significant safety risks in the days prior to the crash. These safety risks were the following; a) Having the ability to steer the balloon was more or less essential to ensuring the safety of the group. Andree had invented his own technique using heavy drag ropes that would remain in contact with the ice as the balloon flew. However, there was significant evidence that these ropes would not work as effectively as Andree had predicted (and in any case, these drag ropes were lost within seconds of the balloon taking off). b) The balloon had been delivered straight to the balloon station in Svalbard without being tested; furthermore, Andree decided to ignore measurements taken prior to the launch which showed the balloon to be leaking more than expected.
Most modern scholars cite Andrée's faith in new technology and his naïve disregard for the forces of nature as the key factors that led to the death of himself and his two companions.
8. Information about the Company
Artistic Policy • To create new, visually driven performances that speak directly and dynamically to an audience. • To bring together theatre artists from different countries who want to explore the possibilities and conflicts of working in a blend of languages, styles and cultural understandings. What we do Create performances We have created 14 new devised performances and begun development work on 2 more. Touring Since 2001 we have played in over 29 countries, spanning 3 continents. Education work The company teaches workshops for students and theatre workers that demonstrate its working methods and ideas.
Company History NIE was formed in 2001 but some members of the company have been working together since 1996. The idea of an international company grew out of our experience of previous collaborations with theatre artists from a variety of countries who had very different backgrounds and training to our own.
Since starting the company we have: • Received the Norwegian Association for Performing Arts Award for Artistic Bravery 2010/11 • Received the ASSITEJ Awards for Artistic Excellence at the World Congress 2011 • Won the Total Theatre and the Herald Angel Award – Edinburgh 2006. • Won the Jury Prize for best new work at the ASSITEJ festival in Kristiansand, Norway - 04. • Won six festival prizes (two in Bosnia, one in Poland, one in Norway and two in Serbia). • Won the Grand Prix for new and innovative work and The Audience prize in the TIBA festival, Belgrade, Serbia and Monte Negro in May 2004. • Toured to: Russia, USA, Italy, Denmark, Poland, Bosnia, Germany, Norway, Holland, Serbia, Austria, Canada, Sweden, Czech Republic, Israel, Hungary, Switzerland, Lichtenstien, Belgium, China, Finland, France, Ireland, Sweden and Japan. • Appeared as international guests at major European festivals in Norway (PIT), Denmark (Caravan), the Czech Republic (Festival of European Theatre in Hradec Kralove) and in Russia (Baltic States Festival). • Taught workshops as a company in Russia, the Czech Republic, Bosnia, Denmark, UK and Norway. • Been nominated for a 2004 Edinburgh Fringe Festival ‘Best Ensemble Performance’ in The Stage Awards for Acting Excellence for My Long Journey Home • Been nominated for the best visiting production – Toronto Theatre Awards 2005 – for Past Half Remembered at the Milk Festival. • Have secured funding from the Cultural Programme of the European Union to deliver a new show, Pim and Theo, in collaboration with 3 other international theatre companies, to be delivered across 8 countries during 2013/2014.
Who we are The company is run as a collaboration between three key artists these are: Cambridge based theatre practitioners, Alex Byrne, the company’s Artistic Director, together with a Co-Artistic Director, Kjell Moberg and Associate Director Iva Moberg, who are based in Norway and co- ordinate much of NIE’s European touring work.
Artistic Director (Alex Byrne - UK): Alex trained at Central School of Speech and Drama in London and at Ecole Phillippe Gaulier, also in London. He is currently Senior Lecturer in Drama at Anglia Ruskin University in Cambridge.
Co-Artistic Director, International Fundraising (Kjell Moberg - Norway): Kjell has worked as an actor for the Norwegian National Theatre, for Ostfold Sate Theatre and for Divadlo Drak in the Czech Republic. He is also a regular performer for NIE.
Associate Director, International touring and administration (Iva Moberg - Norway): Iva trained at the State Theatre School in Prague. She was the founder, producer and director of the Moberg Ensemble and has worked as an actor for Company Petr Nikol in Prague and for NIE.
For more details or further information please contact NIE’s Producer Sarah Crompton: E: [email protected] T: (01223) 403 343 W: www.nie-theatre.com
9. Appendix Appendix 1
The four members of the failed Andrée-balloon expedition, including reserve member Vilhelm Swedenborg (taken 1896/1897). From left to right: Vilhelm Swedenborg, Nils Strindberg, Knut Frænkel and Salomon August Andrée. [http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/1/11/Swedenborg,_Strindberg,_Fraenkel _and_Andrée.PNG]
Appendix 2
Civil Rights marchers with "I Am A Man" signs, 1968. (The signs are a reaction to the term ‘boy’, a pejorative term that was historically used to refer to black men).
A citizen of Paris weeps as he watches the Nazis invade his country, 1941 http://i706.photobucket.com/albums/ww69/pete051462/crying-frenchman.gif
An anonymous photo taken on the streets of Cardiff in the 1980s, http://static.guim.co.uk/sys- images/Guardian/Pix/pictures/2011/3/23/1300884090145/cardiff-1980s-old- photogr-006.jpg
Anonymous, 1950s http://static.guim.co.uk/sys- images/Observer/Pix/pictures/2010/4/14/1271261998760/neighbours-1950s- 001.jpg
A street in Manchester in the 1960s. http://www.communityarchives.org.uk/images/uploaded/scaled/Rudman1960.jpg
Appendix 3
All of Nils Strindberg’s surviving photos can be accessed at this link http://www.grennamuseum.se/info.aspx?visa=galleri&search=flygresan,+isvandringen