The venerable Christiania Theater in Stortingsgaten in Oslo has hosted big stars over the years. When the production companies Starworks and Over Norge have taken over the operation of Christiania Teater, they pick up the entertainment thread from the theatre’s early years. The performance “Et glass til”, based on the Danish Oscar-winning film “Drunk”, offers mid-life crises, humor, folkliness and drunkenness that captivates. Uninspired teachers Director Mattis Herman Nyquist has gathered a bunch of great comedy names to portray the four teachers Martin, Peter, Nikolai and Tommy. FOUR IN A ROW: That’s how gray life as a teacher can be. The large board is as bland as the four’s teaching – but is used to open up the stage space as the performance reaches greater depths and the characters lose control. From left: Nader Khademi, Christian Skolmen, Sven Nordin and Ingar Helge Gimle. Photo: Øyvind Ganesh They all work at upper secondary school, and a grim school life is hammered into the scenography right from the start. On the stage is a rather uninspiring chalkboard overflowing with various teacher’s doodles in addition to four wooden school chairs. Set designer Øyvind Wangensteen does have a clever plan with the board later in the performance. At the same time, it must be mentioned that the lighting is smart, sharp and good, it conveys theme and emotions elegantly as the performance unfolds. Half a blood alcohol level too little “A glass to” starts with a standup-like scene by Christian Skolmen. Skolmen, with his insistent kindness and gentle and circumstantial naivety, can make almost anything and anyone smile. He introduces the play and his co-stars, gets them on stage and provides a gentle, kind and slightly boring theater intro. But it lifts the mood. PRO, PRO, MILLE: The four friends have taken the blood alcohol level project far, now they are researching the maximum blood alcohol level. Øyvind Wangensteen’s lighting is a good story driver in scenes like this. Standing: Sven Nordin. In front of him: Ingar Helge Gimle. On the right side of the table: Nader Khademi and Christian Skolmen Photo: Øyvind Ganesh The performance follows the film a long way. A gray teacher’s everyday life and four men in midlife crisis start a drinking project that escalates. The quartet decide to test the theory that humans are born with half a blood alcohol level too low. In other words: They must be slightly drunk from eight in the morning until eight in the evening. They call it a research project. And it works wonders for them – at least at first. SNEAK DRINKING: The booze is secretly slipped into the coffee cups of the teachers Peter, Tommy, Nikolai and Martin, and the teaching job becomes a game – at least for a while. From left: Nader Khademi, Ingar Helge Gimle, Christian Skolmen and Sven Nordin. Photo: Øyvind Ganesh A good atmosphere and nice, trustworthy relationships are quickly established between the four, and the rising blood alcohol curve is of course fun to follow. At the same time, the theatrical version loses much of the film’s contextualisation, and then it is sometimes felt that the individual character’s progress is too fast. This particularly applies to the characters’ problems at home. These are conflicts that the public only experiences through telephone calls, quick reports and jumping from conversation to conversation, and they grow large and serious quickly. The energy the film has in the interaction with the students, and not least in the secrecy of the drinking project, is also missing to a certain extent in the theatrical version. Boy atmosphere in midlife crisis Nordin, Khademi, Gimle and Skolmen deliver a game characterized by excess. At times it reminds of a kind of guys in mid-life crisis atmosphere with a lot of closeness and hugs, it’s a very caring and cuddly quartet. The atmosphere rises in step with the alcohol level, and the performance ends up as a fatal drunken ball. Because it can’t go well, this project. In “One more glass”, it is easier to follow the story in a rising curve than when it descends into great, despairing depths. Sven Nordin makes a strong effort to save quick progress in the many crises Martin experiences during the performance. The big, dark event that eventually occurs is nicely resolved in the direction. In the last part of the performance, exciting scenography and directorial choices are also allowed to take place. GOOD AS A CUP WINNER: Sven Nordin makes a strong effort as a tried-and-tested teacher in a mid-life crisis. Photo: Øyvind Ganesh “A glass to” is a fast-paced situation comedy. It is well and amusingly played by four driven comedy performers. The performance is also somewhat heavy – but the steps taken in the last part show a theater that wants to challenge itself. In any case, they have delivered a joyous, folk drunken ball of hope and purification in the (for many) white month of January. news reviewer Photo: Øyvind Ganesh Title: “An additional glass” Location: Christiania Teater in the center of Oslo Director: Mattis Herman Nyquist Screenplay: Thomas Vinterberg & Tobias Lindholm With: Sven Nordin, Nader Khademi, Inger Helge Gimle, Christian Skolmen Stage preparation: Thomas Vinterberg & Claus Flygare Norwegian translation: Lars Berge Set design/lighting design: Øyvind Wangensteen Sound design: Lars Hareide Swenson Composer: Hanne Hukkelberg Costume design: Alva Brosten Choreography: Josephine Gracia Slåen Assistant director: Agnes Melinder Stoklan Producers: Over Norge & StarWorks Date: 12 January – 25 March 2023 Hello! I review theatre, performing arts and dance for news as a freelancer. Also read my reviews of “Kristin Lavransdotter” at Det Norske Teatret, of the play “Don Juan” at Trøndelag Teater or “Snøsøstera” at Det Norske Teateret. SKÅL MED SVEN: The Saturday revue’s portrait of lead actor Sven Nordin.
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“A glass to” at Christiania Theater – Reviews and recommendations
