Paragraph 1: A Norén Christmas, Reimagined:
The phrase "Norén Christmas" evokes a specific image in the collective consciousness: anxiety-ridden relationships fueled by alcohol, tragic sexual encounters, and bitter confrontations unfolding within elegant settings. This perception stems primarily from Lars Norén’s breakthrough works – his hotel plays, bourgeois quartets, and Chekhovian-tinged dramas of the early 1990s. Markus Öhrn’s "Five Scenes Norén" at Dramaten draws on two texts from this era, "Hebriana," a family drama set amidst a midsummer archipelago visit, and "So Simple Is Love," where two couples engage in a post-premiere, alcohol-soaked dissection of their lives. These plays epitomize the quintessential Norén, complete with exposed secrets and perfectly timed emotional lacerations.
Paragraph 2: Beyond the Familiar Norén:
Öhrn’s production doesn’t limit itself to the familiar Norén. It incorporates two later works, "3.31.93." and "Andante," which offer a stark departure from the earlier pieces. These later works explore themes of physical and mental decline, presenting a disquieting contrast to the more conventionally dramatic earlier scenes. Could one imagine a Norén Christmas in a nursing home, marked by speechlessness and dementia? This juxtaposition allows Öhrn to delve into the core of Norén’s work, seeking the essence beneath the surface, the "sheep in the sheep," as Norén himself describes it. The question becomes how to expose this essence, to deconstruct and simultaneously reconstruct the familiar Norén tropes.
Paragraph 3: A Grotesque and Overwhelming Experience:
Öhrn’s approach involves a radical transformation of Norén’s characters. Grotesque masks with staring eyes and gaping mouths, technologically altered voices, and clumsily stylized movements create a post-dramatic overload. The effect is visceral, bordering on aggressive, as the audience is bombarded with distorted sensory input. A bourgeois family struggles to eat with oversized faces; a terminally ill Lucia figure attempts to smoke with a contorted mouth. There’s no respite, no normalcy, creating a heightened awareness of the characters’ self-consciousness within their isolation. While moments of dark humor emerge, such as Hulda Lind Jóhannsdóttir’s portrayal of a hospice patient, the overall effect is unsettling and deeply disturbing.
Paragraph 4: Stripping Away Language and Dignity:
The production’s exploration of "3.31.93." is particularly harrowing. A paralyzed cellist, stripped of language, experiences only humiliation, despite the attempts of a slippery father figure, played by Danilo Bejarano, to chatter away the reality of their situation. Bejarano’s characteristically menacing presence lends itself perfectly to this demonic life coach, whose pronouncements become acts of violence. Even the beauty of Bach’s cello suites is tainted by the scene’s brutality, underscoring the pervasive nature of the production’s unsettling atmosphere. Nothing escapes unscathed.
Paragraph 5: An Exegesis of Norén’s Work:
While undeniably original and powerful, "Five Scenes Norén" ultimately functions as a critical examination of Norén’s dramatic universe, offering a fresh interpretation for those already deeply engaged with his work. The production becomes an act of exegesis, dissecting and reassembling Norén’s themes. The reimagining of "Andante" is particularly striking. What was purely language in Norén’s own 2019 production at Dramaten is transformed into tangible matter by Öhrn. The ensemble dances and sings Lucia songs in a nursing home, smeared with excrement. The horror of awaiting death is made brutally concrete, impossible to ignore or abstract.
Paragraph 6: A New Legacy Forged:
Öhrn’s "Five Scenes Norén" injects new meaning into the familiar "Norén Christmas." It’s a bold reinterpretation, a grotesque and unsettling exploration of the playwright’s core themes. The production is not merely a staging of Norén’s texts; it’s a visceral engagement with his artistic DNA. By stripping away the familiar veneer and exposing the raw, often uncomfortable essence beneath, Öhrn forges a new legacy for Norén’s work, challenging audiences to confront the playwright’s bleak and unflinching vision of the human condition. The production leaves a lasting impression, a testament to the enduring power and disturbing beauty of Norén’s dramatic world, reimagined through Öhrn’s unique and unsettling lens.
