A performance in the clouds

It's Friday and it's 10:00 am, in front of me I have two benches packed with small children's bodies and adults watching. We are going to watch "Sparrow". Before we entered the theater, we were told to let the children be as active as they wanted during the performance.

I sat behind all these children and adults at the age of 18, and I had never seen or experienced much children's theater. Nor had I ever imagined that I myself would sit through this particular performance with the same intensity as the children sitting in front of me.

The performance starts with three actors moving some birds, themselves and the children. We also see some musicians playing live music in the back, in the front row the children are already engrossed. Some of the children almost seemed to be in hypnosis, sitting with their mouths open and their eyes glued to the stage. This is how they sat throughout the performance, at least almost. Along the way, the children were given the opportunity to help shape the performance by being given different objects and complete freedom.

Personally, I found the whole thing magical, not only because I was so enthralled by the children's eagerness, but because I thought the acting and the concept were so good. The actors were so amazing, moving in many different acrobatic and calm ways. In particular, I would like to point out the dynamics that were used here, because the actors used all different levels, there were also tempo changes that happened and a repetition of different movements. The bodies were used in many different ways, including mimicking sparrows. Strangely enough, this was both humorous for the little ones and the big ones. Not only did they use their bodies, but they also grimaced. In addition to this use of body and face, props were also used in many ways. Among other things, there was a nest that "flew" into the air, a blanket and some hand puppets became live birds that were fed. To top it all off, there was also fantastic music, which was the icing on the cake and set the mood.

From start to finish, there was a lot going on, on stage, among the actors, among the musicians, among the audience and in the "gap" between them. The children, who started out a little uncertain, ended up going on stage, clapping, playing and dancing along. It was precisely this "break" between the audience and those on stage that was absolutely magical and I doubt it could have happened if anyone else had been on stage, so kudos to Teaterfot. Not only do I think they got rid of this "divide," but they also got to show that all children see theater differently. Some choose to take part in the play, while others prefer to watch; everyone creates their own story and thoughts during the play, and that is very important and nice to remember.

I'm very grateful that I was sitting in the audience at 10 o'clock on a Friday morning to see the show "Sparrow". Because the performance opened a new eye in me, namely for theater for the youngest. I realized that children's theatre is not necessarily only fun for the very young, but that it can be just as entertaining for me as an 18-year-old. So if the show happened to be on tour where you live, I wouldn't have asked to see it.

Randi Nordihus

Photo: Andrea Haugerud Hovik