Tennessee Williams piece from the 1957 play freely with the Greek myth about Orpheus, who played so beautifully that Hades released Eurydice from the underworld after she had been bitten by a snake. ”Orpheus descending” is a symbolmättat drama with a southern gothic air of dark romance, violence, decay, and eccentric characters.
the Hell is this an american sydstatshåla filled with suppressed sexuality, the oppression of women and brutal racism, where the savior comes in the form of the erotic steamy gitarrkillen Elections, which left his old life in the dirt behind him. His last name Xavier sounds at least as ”saviour”, but he goes dressed in a dangerous ormskinnsjacka and the question is who really saves who here.
a version under the title ”the Man with the ormskinnsjackan” chose director Malin Stenberg as I recall it, to not try to stay for the laughter to symbolmättade and melodramatic klichéartade but rather keep it up.
Norwegian Runar Hodne relate to the same conditions but choose a restrained way. The set is stripped down, the game is greyed out and as well as neddraget in speed in order to force us to really listen. Everything here is in earnest, yes, but at the same time lurks a wry smile of irony in the shadows – a stämningsbalansakt stylish borrowed from David Lynch. Which is perfectly in order, because Lynch’s film ”Wild at heart”, in turn borrowed so much more than the famous ormskinnsjackan from the Williams piece. Hodne lets the slow replikväxlingarna slowly but surely upload the crackling power lines between the characters.
and lighting designer Ellen Ruge creates a desolate stage, with vertically standing fluorescent lamps not only draws up the place for the sphere of influence, but also form the cage that keeps the people trapped in the conventions and life would be impossible. This is barely love, relationships are a buying and selling, the entire action takes place in a store.
Sofi Helleday make the shopkeeper Lady to anything other than a cliché: she is of flesh and blood, strong, weak, inconsistent, and clear. Björn Bengtsson’s Choice is grumpily suffering, almost tormented by the need to be so hot that both the pineapple sorbet and the women melt in his hands. Supporting roles seem to have fun all of them, especially Mia benson’s and Kicki Brambergs skvallertanter. Patriarchy looks tired and dull out with Hannes Meidal, Jan A and Örjan Ramberg, but is deadly as always.
is of great importance, threatening the winding guitar leads accentuate the game’s low pulsating tempo. The break is not a grateful component in spänningsbygget, at the premiere, it seems difficult to pick up again after the interruption, then also the intensity shall be drawn up in the second act, and passionsdramat laced. It is fluctuating a little, an uncertainty is present in some scenes.
Overall, it is still a good-looking and intelligent interpretation, with plenty of space for the audience to think. How is it possible, for example, then for the young decimated Carol, like a bird in the smutsrosa fjäderjacka in Kirsti Stubøs figure. After the disaster the change she is about to Waltz ömsade ormskinnsjacka and go. Can she finally leave the cage and fly freely?
