The play was first performed at the Delhi Ibsen Festival in 2008. Since then multi-artist Ratan Thiyam has been praised by The New York Times, and his Chorus Repertory Theatre is acknowledged throughout the world for the mixture of Eastern and Western art forms. Thiyam’s answer to the praise is “Ibsen wrote an unlimited play”. When We Dead Awaken will be performed the 1st and 2nd of September at the Oslo Ibsen Festival.
Thiyam chose the play because it deals with many of the aspects of our own human philosophy.
- I think the question of resurrection or death repeatedly crops up in this play, says Thiyam in the yearbook for the Delhi Ibsen Festival in 2008.
Because Ibsen changed his writing style when he wrote this play during one of his last journeys, Thiyam’s aim is to present When We Dead Awaken as unique. He wanted to discover and rediscover a different Ibsen.
When We Dead Awaken is an intense journey into the characters’ minds, and raises issues of a metaphysical and soul-searching nature. In this version of the play, we meet Arnold Rubek “Shaktam Lakpa” (the sculptor), his old flame Irene “Shaktam” (the picture), his mother Maja “Shakenbi” (beautiful woman), and the bear hunter Ulfheim “Lamlanba” (the stranger). The performance has been described as spectacular and the Chorus Repertory Theatre is known for the use of dramatic effects.
One of the main challenges performing the play was to combine the Western concept of life and Eastern traditions.
Thiyam has held audiences spellbound before, and will probably repeat this work of art on the audience in Oslo.
Follow the link for more information about The Ibsen Festival in Oslo.