In the center of Stavanger, he stands looking out over Vågen from his plinth, Alexander Lange Kielland. Elegant in a floppy hat and with a half-cloak that flaps lightly in the wind. This year he would have turned 175. Rogaland Theater and Haugesund Theater are joining forces to celebrate Stavanger’s great son with a newly written play. Who was Alexander Kielland? Lacking nerve That’s what “Alexander” is about. Playwright Rolf Kristian Larsen paints a portrait of a privileged enjoyer of life through a series of episodic scenes in search of his author identity. “Alexander” shows different aspects of Kielland’s life, what made him who he was. Kielland’s many letters are among the material used. PRESS: Expectations from the family also affected Alexander Kielland. From left, wife Beate (Marianne Holter), father Jens (Matias Kuoppala), sister Kitty (Malene Wadel). Photo: Grethe Nygaard The theater will dust off the man on the plinth, show off the boundless man Kielland, “the king of contrasts”, as it says in the programme. Those are big words. Because the piece never draws really big contrasts. Instead, it shows a man of life who looks back on life, laughs and regrets, a man who never faces the really big problems. The episodes soon show that this is harmless material, because the various scenes have an undertone that everything will work out in the end anyway. The performance starts darkly with a repentant, tired and confused Kielland. A death harbinger in the form of a large raven is with him on stage, and Kielland despairs over choices he made and regrets. The raven is an exciting element at the start, but this darkness is not followed up well enough in the play. OMEN: The darkness of life, here in the form of a raven, does not bite Alexander Kielland very hard in the play about him. From left: Matias Kuoppala and Espen Hana. Photo: Grethe Nygaard Rushing off And it is consistent for “Alexander”: Several situations and themes could have been fleshed out better and given more time. This could slow down the pace of the performance, so that the audience can take over the situations and live in them to a greater extent. An example from early in the play is Kielland’s gluttony in Paris (he ate and drank himself broke and put on 40 kilos): Excellently described in the script, tamer played out on stage because we never see the gluttony or its physical consequences. LITTLE MARIUS: In the performance, Kielland again meets little Marius from the novel “Gift”. Marius is not entirely satisfied with his ending in the book. Amund Harboe plays Marius, in addition to several other roles. Photo: Grethe Nygaard And what’s more: Father brings money, so he can only pay off the food debt. Another element is Kielland’s important friendship with Bjørnstjerne Bjørnson. This is again amusingly written, but played in a way that means that Bjørnson takes up too little space and the relationship is not explored well enough. Part of the challenge is that the play constantly rushes on without dramatic tension building up. There is little at stake for Alexander Kielland in this set-up. There is nothing that can go terribly wrong for him – and everything that plays out is in the past anyway. There is plenty to regret here, it is not, but there is little for the audience to invest their empathy in. STRICT STEPMOTHER: Malene Wadel also plays Kielland’s stepmother. But she is only in the show for a short time, and the fearsomeness of her is reduced to the fact that she is one of many characters this show allows the audience to meet. Photo: Grethe Nygaard Glimt in the eye Espen Hana plays Alexander with able eyes, a lot of humor and fine facial expressions. He is absolutely the right actor in the role. But he too is marked by the fact that the story lacks substance, and in the first part of the performance this is compensated for with extensive shouting and high-pitched voice use. But in the second part something happens. There the play opens. Kielland’s secret girlfriend, Lisa from Orre (Malene Wadel), confronts him that he does not acknowledge her and the children they have together. Wadel plays in the Jærd dialect, and lifts the performance with this small role. She breaks out of the game and addresses the audience with her index finger: “And a man like that puts you on a pedestal!”. Not that there’s much to do with it now. But she has a point. ENJOYING LIFE: Alexander Kielland had a secret girlfriend with whom he had a child. But she is hushed up by the family. Here are the two of them in a happy moment. From left: Espen Hana and Malene Wadel Photo: Grethe Nygaard Varied text There are many such breaks in Larsen’s text, and several of them work well. He has written a clear drive into the text, rapid shifts and exciting breaks between ordinary dialogue, quotations taken from Kielland’s letters and modern language turns (“Djiises!” – whereupon Kielland has to explain that such things were not said in his time). The characters constantly comment on the events they take part in, and it flows nicely. The variation is good, and it creates gaiety in a piece that nevertheless lacks the necessary dramatic nerve. IN FRANCE: At a party in Versailles, Kielland meets Bjørnstjerne Bjørnson – an important acquaintance. Bjørnson is still not at the center of the events where he stands on the far left of the picture. From left: Amund Harboe (Bjørnson), Malene Wadel (with mask), Espen Hana (Alexander), Marianne Holter (Beate) Matias Kuopplala (with mask) Photo: Grethe Nygaard The contrast intended between the varied textual approaches and the contemporary costumes on stage, is basically also fine. The more modern expression in the video-based scenography and music in the play contributes little to empathy for Kielland’s character. It is Espen Hana who stands for it. SKINNER: Espen Hana does a solid job in the role of Alexander Kielland, says news’s critic. Photo: Grethe Nygaard / Grethe Nygaard But Kielland is and remains an untouchable type. Most of all, the play is a tribute to the man on the plinth. And as expected, Kielland finally climbs onto said plinth. The audience sits back with greater familiarity with one of our four great authors. And it’s nice, but it’s not a great theater experience. news reviews Photo: Rogaland Theater Title: “Alexander” Director: Morten Joachim Playwright: Rolf Kristian Larsen Location: Rogaland Theatre, Hovedscenen Performance dates: 4 September–19. October 2024 Duration: Two hours, including intermission Cast: Espen Hana (Alexander Kielland), Marianne Holter (Beate and Alexander’s mother), Amund Harboe (Maitre d´hotel, Bjørnson, Tycho and Lille Marius), Malene Wadel (Kitty Kielland, Inger Mæle and Lisa), Matias Kuoppala (Raven, Alexander’s father and Lars Oftedal) Composer and sound designer: Ida Flåten Kampenhaug Set designer: Arne Nøst Costume designer: Ragnhild Anda Tengesdal Dramaturg: Carl Jørn Johansen Choreographic assistance: Ludvig Herstad Make-up artist: Jill Tonje Holter The production is a collaboration between Rogaland Theater and Haugesund Theatre. Hi! I review theatre, performing arts and dance for news as a freelancer. Also read my reviews of “Det mørke fortet” by Riksteatret, “Vildanden” by the National Ballet in the Opera, or “Moby Dick” by Det Norske Teatret. Published 06.09.2024, at 15.33
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“Alexander” at Rogaland Theater – Reviews and recommendations
