He is called “the children’s streaming favourite”, Kokosbananas, and it is not without reason. The small, cheerful inventor-guy got his start as a short radio play on news, and the series is approaching 30 audiobooks signed by Rolf-Magne Golten Andersen. In addition, some of the stories have been published as picture books – and an animation series about the bespectacled inventor is probably also on the way. So when Teater Ibsen in Skien has secured a newly written play about Kokosbananas from playwright Andersen, everything is set for success. But the transition to the theater stage is still not seamless. AUDIOBOOK SUCCESS: Catchy vignettes that stick to the memory followed by well-known everyday problems that are solved with the help of creative inventions that often get out of hand. Unfortunately, the transition to the scene is a little messy. Puppeteer Coconut Bananas: Nami Kitagawa Aam. Photo: Benjamin Limi Well-known universe obliges But the puppet theater show “Coconut Bananas and the Fun Machine” is neither clingy coconut nor crazy banana, as one should expect. Nevertheless, it has a number of good qualities: There are always new surprises hidden in the scenography and costumes – something that becomes extra exciting when Kokosbananas takes a trip to space. Christine Lohre’s visual expression plays well with Tuva Grøterud’s lighting design, and Sol Heilo’s compositions speed up the show’s universe. The doll design is fresh and recognizable from the books, especially Baby Koko, Kokosbananas and the squirrel are nicely done. Director Bård Bjørknes has let the puppeteers play with the entire stage space – it’s fun and suitable for touring. But the character Kokosbananas itself has had something happen to it along the way. FRUITFUL ARGUMENT: Coconut Bananas is mad at little sister Baby Koko and she bites his finger. The doll design is playful, and the characters are recognizable from the picture books and the universe is at least as colorful and exciting. Puppeteer for Baby Koko: Maia Lohre Køhn. Puppeteer Coconut Bananas: Nami Kitagawa Aam. Photo: Benjamin Limi From exuberant to sullen In the audiobooks, he is a cheerful guy with a high level of energy. He doesn’t like to be bored, but loves children’s TV, inventing things and eating sweets. Hence ingenious inventions such as candy vacuum cleaners (which turn dust and dirt and old socks into snot), the soda pop invention, hypnosis machine, air shoe, magnifying gun – and a squeegee machine. He does all this largely to help others (and sometimes himself). Kokosbananas is a cheerful and caring character in the audiobooks. It plays out a little differently on the theater stage. It’s Sunday here, and Kokosbananas is bored. Mamma Banana and Papa Kokos are most interested in their mobile phones. Also, they are only interested in Baby Koko and not him. Everything is stupid, and Kokosbananas sticks out in the inventor’s shed. There he invents an amusement machine to put an end to all the boring stuff. When the fun machine eventually has nothing more to offer, Kokosbananas gives it free rein, and the fun machine turns evil. Soon it has captured the entire boring family of Kokosbananas, and the end result is that Kokosbananas has to rescue them. Because he likes them after all, and they’re not that boring after all. SOD A MUST-HAVE: Coconut bananas love soft drinks. Although “Cocobananas and the fun machine” is not particularly soda-related thematically, the performance has wrapped a magical and luminous soda tube signed the fun machine. Theatrical magic is loose in this puppet theater performance. From the left the soft drinks holders Hanne Amalie Smedstad and Maia Lohre Køhn, to the right Kokosbananas with puppeteer Nami Kitagawa Aam. Photo: Benjamin Limi Evil fun machine But this is not a typical Kokosbananas story. Andersen has chosen to explore the mix of jealousy and boredom that many children in the target group 4+ are probably well familiar with. But Kokosbananas is no longer a problem solver full of curious pranks, ready for fun and a bit of organization. He only does this for himself. And the harmless audio books where everything works out in the end are a far cry from the scary fun machine that goes out of control. Expanding the narrative format from ten minutes to a forty-minute show naturally requires more complicated plots. But this is a story that can be found in countless TV series for children from before: The hero who wishes the boring family away, and who regrets it. It does not suit Kokosbananas to set such dark forces in motion. The question is also whether four-year-olds in the audience are mature for this type of separation theme. For the six-year-old, it is probably something else. Most disappointing, however, is that Kokosbananas’ exuberant madness has somehow disappeared. It got lost on the way from sound to stage. GETS A LITTLE SCARY: The fun machine eventually becomes monstrous, and Kokosbananas rather bewildered. Here, too, the use of figures appeals to a lively use of imagination – although it might be scary for the very little ones. Performers from left: Thomas Robsrud, Maia Lohre Køhn, Hanne Amalie Smedstad and Nami Kitagawa Aam. Photo: BENJAMIN LIMI More madness, thank you The performance is not bad, visually it works very well, and the puppeteers play with excess while being faithful to the characters of the story. But the narrative somehow lags behind the funny stage rigging. Playwright Andersen is behind wild successes such as the news series “Magnus” and “Førstegangsjenesten”. The Kokosbananas stories have a clear moral both as audio stories, in books and on stage. Hereby, the playwright is encouraged to transfer the madness he has shown that he can write to an even greater extent if the stories about Kokosbananas should once again unfold in larger formats. news reviewer Photo: Benjamin Limi By: Rolf Magne Golten Andersen Director: Bård Bjørknes Actors: Nami Kitagawa Aam (Kokosbananas), Maia Lohre Køhn (Ernst Erling Ekorn and others), Geir Robsrud (Papakokos), Hanne Amalie Smedstad (Mammabananas) Scenography: Christine Lohre Puppet maker: Ella Honeyman-Novotny Composer: Sol Heilo Dramaturg: Åste Marie Bjerke Inspector: Per Haugen Lighting designer: Tuva Grøterud Painter: Barbro Bekken Sound designer: Sigbjørn Rell Blacksmith: Gøran Aas Carpenter: Rune Gaasodden Costume manager: Unni Bang Andersen Technical manager : Terje Lien Gundersen Theater Ibsen: Heidi Tangen, Kristian Hauge, Bjarne Mosbakk, Malene Nordskog, Gunn Bakke Hansen, Hilde Guri Bohlin, Hadle Reisæter, Heidi Paulsen, Katharina Skomedal, Mette Halvarp, Elin Anthonisen Photo: Benjamin Limi
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“Coconut bananas and the fun machine” at Theater Ibsen – Reviews and recommendations
