TOWER OF BABEL: PLANET EARTH/GAME OVER/RESET is an interactive performance produced by the PIYL-partners and director Hilde Brinchmann. The premiere was August 19 2022 in the National Drama Theatre, Kaunas, Lithuania during the celebration of Kaunas as a European capital of culture.
Norway premiere will be during the INTERNATIONAL NORWEGIAN ASSITEJ FESTIVAL in Kristiansand Sept 13 2022
Combining four European theatre companies' experiences, the "Tower of Babel: Planet Earth/Game over/Reset” is a groundbreaking work of interactive art. The performance has included a young audience (age 13-16) both in the preliminary face, in the production, and in the performance.
The action takes place sometime in the future, after the climate collapse. Humans live like animals in small tribes, scattered across the earth. 32 participants are admitted through four different entrances and become part of each tribe. Together with the actors they embark on an interactive journey, moving through the set as if they were inside a video game. The participants take active part in the action and have to make real choices along the way. They decide how the performance develops and how it ends. Eventually the tribes meet. Are they able to make a choice together?
Directed by the award-winning Norwegian director Hilde Brinchmann, the companies have explored the possibilities of theatrical interactivity. In an epic, visual and engaging performance, the young audience experiences an adventure they will remember for the rest of their lives.
After the performance, we engage the participants in an after talk where we reflect together on the topics of the performance and the choices they made.
Norway premiere will be during the INTERNATIONAL NORWEGIAN ASSITEJ FESTIVAL in Kristiansand Sept 13 2022
Combining four European theatre companies' experiences, the "Tower of Babel: Planet Earth/Game over/Reset” is a groundbreaking work of interactive art. The performance has included a young audience (age 13-16) both in the preliminary face, in the production, and in the performance.
The action takes place sometime in the future, after the climate collapse. Humans live like animals in small tribes, scattered across the earth. 32 participants are admitted through four different entrances and become part of each tribe. Together with the actors they embark on an interactive journey, moving through the set as if they were inside a video game. The participants take active part in the action and have to make real choices along the way. They decide how the performance develops and how it ends. Eventually the tribes meet. Are they able to make a choice together?
Directed by the award-winning Norwegian director Hilde Brinchmann, the companies have explored the possibilities of theatrical interactivity. In an epic, visual and engaging performance, the young audience experiences an adventure they will remember for the rest of their lives.
After the performance, we engage the participants in an after talk where we reflect together on the topics of the performance and the choices they made.
TOWER OF BABEL: PLANET EARTH/GAME OVER/RESET
An epic interactive adventure for youth
THE PAST. Once upon a time, all the people of the world was one. One Nation. One People. With One Language and One God. One day the leaders of the people decided to build a magnificent tower. A tower was so high and beautiful that they could reach God in the skies. But God saw what they were building and decided that it was not good. The people of the world should not think that they were like God. So God divided them. He gave them different languages so that they could no longer understand each other. He made them afraid of each other so that they started wars against each other. And so the people of the world abandoned the big common project of Babel and built nations for themselves. They were confused and afraid. And in the far future, the people of the Planet Earth destroyed even their own Planet.
THE FUTURE. The world after the climate catastrophe. Only a few small tribes of people remain, scattered around the world. Each tribe has its own language and customs. They live like animals, foraging for food and trying to survive in a world destroyed by the apocalypse. What will happen if these tribes meet? This is a story of the past, the present, and the future. What may come and what may happen. Will the human race once more be able to gather around a common project? Or are we forever doomed to live and fight amongst each other?
Project partners: Káva Kulturális Műhely (Hungary), K:13 scenekunst (Norway), Bird & Bat (Iceland), and the National Kaunas Drama Theatre (Lithuania). Co-produced with Syv mil AS. The performance is a part of the Kaunas – European Capital of Culture 2022 programme and the ConTempo international festival for performing arts 2022. See list of funders below.
See the official Lithuanian website about the project here.
An epic interactive adventure for youth
THE PAST. Once upon a time, all the people of the world was one. One Nation. One People. With One Language and One God. One day the leaders of the people decided to build a magnificent tower. A tower was so high and beautiful that they could reach God in the skies. But God saw what they were building and decided that it was not good. The people of the world should not think that they were like God. So God divided them. He gave them different languages so that they could no longer understand each other. He made them afraid of each other so that they started wars against each other. And so the people of the world abandoned the big common project of Babel and built nations for themselves. They were confused and afraid. And in the far future, the people of the Planet Earth destroyed even their own Planet.
THE FUTURE. The world after the climate catastrophe. Only a few small tribes of people remain, scattered around the world. Each tribe has its own language and customs. They live like animals, foraging for food and trying to survive in a world destroyed by the apocalypse. What will happen if these tribes meet? This is a story of the past, the present, and the future. What may come and what may happen. Will the human race once more be able to gather around a common project? Or are we forever doomed to live and fight amongst each other?
Project partners: Káva Kulturális Műhely (Hungary), K:13 scenekunst (Norway), Bird & Bat (Iceland), and the National Kaunas Drama Theatre (Lithuania). Co-produced with Syv mil AS. The performance is a part of the Kaunas – European Capital of Culture 2022 programme and the ConTempo international festival for performing arts 2022. See list of funders below.
See the official Lithuanian website about the project here.
Photos can be downloaded here. Photographer: Donatas Stankevičius
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Links:
Interview with director Hilde Brinchmann (English written text)
National TV in Kaunas (Lihuanian video)
Kultūros diena (Lithuanian video)
LRT article (Lithuanian text)
Bergensmagasinet article (Norwegian text)
Periskop review (Norwegian text)
7mD (7 days of Art) review (Lithuanian text/English text)
Review from teenagers (English text)
Interview with director Hilde Brinchmann (English written text)
National TV in Kaunas (Lihuanian video)
Kultūros diena (Lithuanian video)
LRT article (Lithuanian text)
Bergensmagasinet article (Norwegian text)
Periskop review (Norwegian text)
7mD (7 days of Art) review (Lithuanian text/English text)
Review from teenagers (English text)
ARTISTIC TEAM
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Producing "The Tower of Babel", the partners in the PIYL-network, work together with award winning director Hilde Brinchmann (NO), scenographer Signe Gerda Landfald (NO), costume designer Helena Andersson (SE), composer Deividas Gnedias (LT) and lighting designer Vladimiras Šerstabojevas (Lithuania).
The performers are from the five PIYL-partners from Iceland, Lithuania, Hungary and Norway. Hilde Brinchmann is a performing artist and director educated at Stockholm Dramatic University. She is the artistic director at Tigerstadsteatret, which is one of Norway's most important ambassadors for interactive theater for children and young people. They have a vision to create meeting places for the young audience and tell stories they can identify with to give them the opportunity to experience theater art on their terms. Tigerstadsteatret bases its performances on thorough research of the target group and topics for the project in question. Their latest interactive performance "Jungelen" (the jungle) was produced in 2020. Actors: Jorunn Lullau (K:13, Norway); Steinar Thorsen (K:13, Norway); Snædis Lilja Ingadóttir (Bird & Bat, Iceland); Sigurður Arent (Bird & Bat, Iceland); Anna Boznanszky (Káva Kulturális Műhely, Hungary); András Kazári (Káva Kulturális Műhely, Hungary); Saulė Sakalauskaitė (NKDT, Lithuania); Ugnė Žirgulė (NKDT, Lithuania); Andrius Alešiūnas (NKDT, Lithuania), Kamilė Lebedytė (NKDT, Lithuania), Artūras Sužiedelis (NKDT, Lithuania), Inga Mikutavičiūtė (NKDT, Lithuania), Marius Karolis Gotbergas (NKDT, Lithuania), Greta Šepliakovaitė (NKDT, Lithuania), Arnas Ašmonas (NKDT, Lithuania). |
Hilde Brinchmann. Photo from www.tigerstadsteatret.no, taken by Morten Quist Hommersand
The international team of actors together with the artistic team at rehearsal start in Kaunas Aug 2022
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FUNDERS |
We are very greatful for the financial support for this performance. Thank you so much to our funders: Arts Council Norway, Bergen Municipality and Erasmus+ Programme of the European Union, Kaunas 2022, FFUK (Fond for utøvende kunstnere), Fritt Ord, Nordic Culture Fund & EEA and Norway grants (Culture programme of the European economic area financial mechanism 2014–2021).
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