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Forestillingsprogram for Det Norske Teatrets produksjon Utafor (2018) pdf April 13, 2018 Download

Utafor* (Outside)

Utafor* (Outside) (2018) was a theatre production by The Norwegian Theatre, based on experiences from four young persons' lives, made into a documentary text for the stage by Svein Tindberg in collaboration with the ensemble. The production was performed at the theatre's main stage.

Svein Tindberg directed it.

Faten Mahdi Al-Hussaini, Yousef Bartho Al-Nahi, Siri Marie Seim Sønstelie and Tor Itai Keilen shared their stories from the stage, surrounded by an ensemble of singing and dancing teenagers.

Utafor was given two awards during The Hedda Award 2018: The production received the award in the best production for youth category, whereas Svein Tindberg, Faten Mahdi Al-Hussaini, Yousef Bartho Al-Nahi, Siri Marie Seim Sønstelie and Tor Itai Keilen received the award in the special artistic achievement category.

Utafor was performed as part of the festival Heddadagene 2018.

A digital version of Utafor was released by The Norwegian Theatre during the Corona crisis of 2020. You may read more about that here.

*Not yet translated into the English. The title within parentheses is the Norwegian title's literal meaning.

Information

(Objekt ID 79836)
Object type Production
Premiere April 13, 2018
Produced by The Norwegian Theatre
Audience Youth, Adults
Audience size 15967
Number of events 40
Language Norwegian, Norwegian Nynorsk, Hebrew and Arabic
Keywords Theatre, Drama, Documentary, Performance for youth
Running period April 13, 2018  
Website Det Norske Teatret
More

At the website of The Norwegian Theatre the following, among other things, is written about Utafor* (Outside):

"Being outside is to look in on a community you are not part of. Outside is where one finds the darkest hate. That is where the clearest enemy images are created. And that is where, outside, one finds the like-minded.

The production Utafor is based on stories about being on the outside. Yousef attended upper secondary school when he took his first steps into extremism. Loneliness was the reason he went to this community, and they welcomed him warmly.

(...)

Utafor builds on the stories of four young persons. Yousef is one of them, the convert from Nøtterøy who in 2015 met Faten in the solidarity ring surrounding the Jewish synagogue in Oslo.

Faten is a Shia Muslim, originally from Iraq. She has clear opinions and has chosen to wear a headscarf, and this has led to her receiving many death threats. Faten and Yousef founded the organisation Just Unity, with the aim of preventing radicalisation of youth. With Siri, one of the survivors from Utøya, and Tor, a Jewish actor from Oslo, they are to share their stories from The Norwegian Theatre's main stage."

The Hedda Jury gave the following award for the best production for youth award to Utafor:

"This year's winner in the best production for youth category fulfils all the demands of the jury's criteria. The artistic level is high. The production has a distinctcharacter, and it joins one of our most topical current debates. It presents original and challenging material in an artistically coherent way. The winning production succeeds in uniting contrasting and painful experiences in a coherent artistic expression, within which young individualists are provided with platforms for their own voices, while sharing one joint tone. The theatrical effects support the themes, and what lacks words, is expressed through dance and song. With its true, involving stories and its poetic stage expression, the winner expands the understanding of what it may mean to find one's place in contemporary Norway.

The award goes to Utafor."

The Hedda Jury gave the following reason for the special artistic achievement award to Svein Tindberg, Faten Mahdi Al-Hussaini, Yousef Bartho Al-Nahi, Siri Marie Seim Sønstelie and Tor Itai Keilen:

"One should not take for granted that The Hedda Award in the special artistic achievement category will be given out. This year, it goes to a unique theatre event, an example that great things may happen when faith, hope and stamina are allowed to work together. Faith can become theatre and hope can turn into reality. Different elements can be gathered in such a way that the whole becomes larger than the sum of its parts. What happens then is what all art strives for: New reality is made, and understandings grow. This demands enthusiasm, patience and personal courage. It demands that one sticks to one's vision. It also demands that one puts in hard and expansive work in the text and the onstage expression. This year's award is shared by an experienced theatre maker and four young idealists who have dared to confront the unknown within and outside of themselves. They have shared experiences, missteps, sorrows and spite. They have shared joy, humour and triumph.

This year, the special artistic achievement award goes to Svein Tindberg, Faten Mahdi Al-Hussaini, Yousef Bartho Al-Nahi, Siri Marie Seim Sønstelie and Tor Itai Keilen for Utafor."

SOURCES:

The Norwegian Theatre, 02.11.2017, detnorsketeatret.no, https://www.detnorsketeatret.no/framsyningar/utafor/

The Hedda Award, www.heddaprisen.no, 18.06.2018, https://www.heddaprisen.no/vinnere/2018

*Not yet translated into the English. The title within parentheses is the Norwegian title's literal meaning.

Performance dates
June 2018Hovudscenen, The Norwegian Theatre Show
April 13, 2018Hovudscenen, The Norwegian Theatre Worldwide premiere
Festivals (1)
Heddadagene June 2018