Blue is the smoke of war

Om forestillingen

The work is largely drawn on materials and characters from Good Times for the evil ones inspired by Georg Johannesen.

The work is largely drawn on materials and characters from Good Times for the evil ones, a previous ensemble production by Grenland Friteater, inspired by the writings of Norwegian poet and scholar Georg Johannesen. It will present his work in four parts or movements like in a musical piece:

First movement – Autumn (Adagio): takes us into China during the Táng dynasty through the words of master poet Tu Fu. The topics are “unpoetic”:
Fall, age, war, famine, disease lack of emotion, spiritual emptiness, resignation, indifference.

Second movement – Winter (Allegro ma non troppo): takes place in Norway during the fifties and has the form of a cabaret. The singer/performer sings of the
“good times”.

Third movement – Spring (Scherzo): The scherzo is more directly concerned with the political situation in Norway and takes advantage of the satirical power of Georg Johannesen: “Of all the people in the whole world it is the Norwegians who have dreamt the most beautiful dream about life”.

Fourth movement – Summer (Allegro con brio): places us in the garden of greek philosopher Epicurus with the motto: Do not fear death, do not fear God. Pleasure will then be easily found, pain easily overcome.

The performance is presented in English.

“An old thought: The world is a theatre.
An old thought; The world is a theatre where only angels are allowed to be indifferent spectators.
The rest of us are “thin air”: hipokrits (hypocrites, roles).”
Georg Johannesen

Actor: Geddy Aniksdal
Director: Tor Arne Ursin
Text: Georg Johannesen
Music: Guttorm Guttormsen
Montage: Tor Arne Ursin and Geddy Aniksdal
Light design: Jean-Vincent Kerebel
Costume/shadows: Gerd Christiansen
Technician: Leila Sunniva Berg
Translations: Geddy Aniksdal, Tor Arne Ursin and Roger Jeffs
Photo: Danny Twang
Producer: Hans Petter Eliassen

Premiére: Porsgrunn, 18.mai 1997