21/7 Utdrag ur recension

The second performance, “Inspired by Strindberg”, was a more serious affair, either because that‘s what a member of the audience asked for—sadness—or because that‘s just the nature of a piece whose players know they want to convey the essence of a play by Swedish playwright Strindberg.

This one did have preparation of sorts: a three-hour workshop on the day of the performance (Thursday), in what makes a Strindberg play. And certain things were specified beforehand: the setting, a Swedish farmhouse circa 1900; some Swedish character names (but not roles). But it too began otherwise without guidance, and simply unfolded from the opening actor‘s first action.

The result was amazing: utterly convincing, expertly plotted, and moving; and yet unplanned. For utter mastery in convincing acting on the spur of the moment, I have to take my hat off to Nick Byrne (Canberra), Jenny Lovell (Melbourne), Cathy Hagarty (Canberra again), and Felipe Ortiz (Bogotá).

In this performance, Nick Byrne was the opening actor and created a strong character simply in the way in which he held himself as he gripped a chair. As the piece progressed, two things did help seat the actors: a truly musical accompaniment by Kettil Medelius (all the way from Stockholm, on keyboard) and Tristen Parr (from Perth, on electric cello), and half a dozen directions, for the audience to hear as well, to one performer or another by its director, Per Gottfredsson, the direction usually being to monologue upon something.

Per Gottfredsson, himself a Swedish legend, normally works with the Stockholm Improvisation Theatre. Brought out to Australia specially for the festival, along with several other leading international impro lights, he was highly spoken of by the actors he‘d worked with, to whom he communicated how a Strindberg play works. In a few words, it builds tension till something breaks; and break it did, inconsolably.

John P. Harvey

Photo: Nick Byrne and Tim Redmond improventing.