The story of cherished truth and much longed-for courage
A performance realized by 16 children and 7 adults.
Performed in Ibsen Festival 2016
Part of “Monsters of Reality – The Mimesis Machine”
National Theatre of Oslo
«We don’t believe you,
you wouldn’t dare to speak the truth
in a room full of Norwegians»
Suki, a little girl of 10 years old from Norway,
addressed to a player of BLINK from Ethiopia and current resident of Oslo
National Theatre of Norway, September 2016
BLINK is a theatre performance that takes the form of a TV show. Four adults of different ethnic, social and economic background have been selected to play this game. Bearing different political beliefs, being native or immigrant, proper or outcast, they all represent different aspects of today’s society. Fifteen children -ranging from 5 to 18 years old- are the judges of this game. The children are going to decide if the adults are honest or courageous enough, if they are going to stay in the game or not. They are going to choose the winner. The members of blindspot group are present on stage monitoring the game.
This particular performance/game has composed in advance some questions and some acts for the adults. The content of the questions and the acts –unknown to the players before the performance- can be political, personal, trivial, funny or serious. The adults are invited to share with us their deepest thoughts, their personal truth, to beat their fear and just be themselves. The kids are present to voice their own thoughts and opinion of how the adults react to the challenges of BLINK, they are the sensitive antennas that feel at once if the adults are honest enough or not.
Through this game, we get the opportunity to have a penetrating look into our social habits -in the simple principles and beliefs that shape our political and moral attitudes, our relationship to the Others. Through a series of questions and acts, the adults are invited to share and confess their experiences, thoughts and beliefs. Each time an Adult player finishes his part, the children express their thoughts and then they vote whether they believe him or not. In this way we have the chance to hear the thoughts of the children towards an adult world that is delivered to them.
BLINK was created and performed first time after the invitation of “Monsters of Reality – The Mimesis Machine” that took part in Ibsen Festival 2016 at the National Theatre of Norway, Oslo www.ibsenfestivalen.no/eng-monster
BLINK
Created by: Yota Argyropoulou, Michalis Konstantatos
Camera: Yannis Fotou
Children/youngsters on stage: Timon, Erika, Per Lauritz, Nor, Jesper, Simon, Suki, Else, Ida, Lara, Lise, Synøve, Hanna, Mia, Alexander, Cecilie and Anastacia.
Adult players: Fikre Assefa, Pål Simen Corneliussen Troye, Harald Ellingsen and Alexander Ibsen.
blindspotgroup.wordpress.com 