FÅ live on stage in Bremen

[Hans]

Hallo,

i just came back from the theater kesselhalle Bremen. "Junges theater Basel" did a good job performing our favorite movie on stage. It was (of course) different from the film but still FANTASTIC. They picked up some other songs which fit to the subject.

Unfortenately, i don't have muchtime now, but i promise to tell you more about it tomorrow or wednesday.

I had a great evening i hope you too.

yours hans

[pendulum]

You're lucky. I would have gone to see it but I live to far away.
I look forward to hearing more about it.

[darkleon]

http://www.cameopictures.com/roel/viewtopic.php?t=346

hehe my first reaction :-)

i was there too
was soooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo WOOOW :-)

[Hans]

Fucking Åmål, Junges Theater Basel, Alter Schlachthof, Bremen


We all know and we all love Lukas Moodysson’s breathtaking film and the story about Agnes and Elin that it is telling.
Yesterday, i had the chance to see this beautiful story in a new different way of interpretion. It was performed on stage. It is not nessesary to say that a performance on stage must be different from the cinema screen.

From my point of view the best thing, Junges Theater Basel did, was to make the story funny, without being ridiculous! The audience was laughing all the time.
I was glad, that they didn’t stick to much to the film. They didn’t use too many quotes from the film for example. The order of some scenes were changed, and they picked up other some other songs. As far as i remember, parts of The Doors- Relight my fire, Eurythmics- Sweet dreams and Die toten Hosen- Alles aus Liebe were sung. Although they did these nessasary changes, one could still recognise every single scene.
I’d say, there was less drama and more fun in the theater, which was absotely fantastic. They did that by leaving out for example Agnes’ suicide scene. The whole thing had an easier and brighter atmosphere.
I enjoyed it very very much.

For the german speakers of you, i’d like to say a few words about the swiss german they spoke:
Zunächst war ich als Norddeutscher ein wenig in Sorge, ob ich auch alles verstehen können werde. Diese Sorge jedoch erwies sich jedoch als vollkommen unbegründet. Im Gegenteil; das Schweizerdeutsch gab dem Theaterstück eine besondere Note, die (alle Schweizer mögen mir verzeihen) unser Amüsement noch stärker machte. Die Lockerheit, mit der unsere Nachbarn im Süden mit unserer gemeinsamen Sprache umgehen, ist eine Freude. Agnes’ Vater „Okchay- Dodchay“ sagen zu hören war fabelhaft. Dies spricht für den Zauber von Fucking Åmål!
Of course, there were a few sentences, i didn’t understand at all. But it was no problem, because a beamer was used to put „subtitles“ on a small screen on the right side of the stage. So it was swiss german with german subtitles.

[Hans]

Hey Darkleon,

great, that you've been there too.
You may have a different impression of what we saw yesterday. Or maybe you remember some more details. So please tell us a little more about it.
What was your favorite scene?
What do you think about Elin's and Jessica's father?
Do you agree that Johann was one of the best caracters/ actors ?

It is a little hard to remember all the details of the performance. So maybe you can help me to give a good report/ critic for the forum.

best regards
Hans

[kant1781]

Great comment, Hans, thank you! How did the lead actresses do - were they strong enough to make one forget the film images of Agnes/Rebecka and Elin/Alexandra?

[darkleon]

oh yeah...
just look at that pictures:
http://www.jungestheaterbasel.ch/_archi ... ges/10.jpg
http://www.jungestheaterbasel.ch/_archi ... ges/08.jpg
i think that says everything
really well performed :-)

oh and elin was really good too
http://www.jungestheaterbasel.ch/_archi ... ges/03.jpg

[darkleon]

ooh i loved the dream-scene...
they sang a song together
they were pretty far away from each other on stage
it was a slow nice song....and they were singing softly together
it was wonderful
really like a wonderful dream... :-)

or it was meant to represent the thoughts they had about each other
but it really doesn't matter :-)

[Hans]

[quote="kant1781"]Great comment, Hans, thank you! How did the lead actresses do - were they strong enough to make one forget the film images of Agnes/Rebecka and Elin/Alexandra?[/quote]

Well, i think when you are once caught by the FÅ-virus, you will never forget the amazing film images of Agnes and Elin (Rebecka and Alexandra) when you are thinking about anything concerning Åmål. You will never forget Alexandra's groans and Rebecka's beautiful smile.
But that's not the point. I allready said that theater and cinema are two different things. It is allways a sensitive thing to compare one with the other. Both, theater and film, offer different methods of dealing with this fantastic story about the two girls who discover their love to each other. I have to say again that the film is much more serious and dramatic.
From my point of view a certain distance from the film is nassesary when you see the performance on stage. The photo's that Darkleon has posted show that the two actresses don't look similar to R. Liljeberg and A. Dahlström. Nevertheless they are also two beautiful girls indeed. On the one hand there is a curly red-haired serously looking and often friendly smiling Agnes, on the other hand, a black-haired and powerfully (?) looking Elin. Their clothes are similar to the film. Their clear voices fit to the caracters they were playing. In order to give a concrete answer to your question, I'd say YES, they were strong enough to make one recognise Agnes and Elin on the first view! They played the role of Agnes and Elin in a different, but also fantastic way. I have to repeat what i allready said again: I am realy realy glad that Junges Theater Basel did NOT try to imitate Moodyssons film and the acting of Rebecka and Alexandra. It has been said a million times that their performance in the film is absolutely unique!
I consider the theater "Fucking Åmål" as a piece of art on it's own! And a good one. This is what makes the story so great: There are so many different ways of interpretion.

[nicolas]

...fantastic...

I have to write this before I read the rest of the thread. I just came back from Schauspielhaus Basle and I'm totally overwhelmed. I didn't expect that.

The two girls did a really good job. Although they looked totally different from Rebecca and Alexandra, they fit their characters perfectly well. They expressed their personalities an a way, that was very close to the film, though Agnes was much more of a rebel in the play.
I hardly recognise Victoria first. Then it became pretty clear. She was a totally different person but just as tragical as in the movie.
Johan was fantastic. It's hard to believe that someone can perform such a loser. I think he was way more expressive than Mathias Rust in the movie. He was so good, I still have trouble seeing him as not being what he performed (you get me?).
Elin and Jessica having a father in stead of a mother sounded to me like a strange idea. And he didn't exactly replace their mother. He made an important (in a good way) difference between the film and the play.
The way Olof's part was played also depolarised the story a little. He didn't feel to me like a person Agnes could rely on. He was too akward compared to the Olof in the movie.
Most likely those here who saw the play didn't notice but the fact, that Agnes came from somewhere else was put on pretty well: Agnes and her father spoke a stron Zurich-accent, as the rest of the actors distinctly came from the area Basle. This also makes Agnes even more of an outsider, as Zurich and Basle are supposed not to like eachother.
The play didn't lack of strong language (unlike the german translation of the film).

The funny part about the play was that sea of cuddly toys out of which - I have not the slightest idea how!-they always managed to find specific ones containing objects or making noises... what ever. They are even discussed about in a really funny way! ... which is not funny at all when I write it here, I know . And on the party when the toys start making out with the girls, hilarious!

I liked the fact that they included Robyn's song several times. It fit pretty well. And it gave a good link to the film.

And as it should be, the best part came in the end: The choclat scene actually happening there hardly three metres in front of my eyes...

There certainly is way more to tell about, but we don't have to stop the thread here, do we

[darkleon]

i loved the scenes the elins father on stage
his loud strong voice, and then the actors ..
the scenes were changes so fast
it did fit really perfect
(yeah i know i'm not a describitive-god ;-) )

it was really great how they compressed everything
elins fahter was also representing the tv, the hope the people have
agnes mother was also representing her brother and the icehockey-trainer
oh and i loved the agnes-actress....really wonderful beautiful and great playing :-)

[kant1781]

There certainly is way more to tell about, but we don't have to stop the thread here, do we

Nonono, we don't have to! I have some more questions... but first, a great hug out to you three for your willingness to report!

Johan was fantastic. It's hard to believe that someone can perform such a loser. ... He was so good, I still have trouble seeing him as not being what he performed (you get me?).

Yes, I get you! Great! In fact, I have always felt exactly this way about Mathias Rust!

And as it should be, the best part came in the end: The choclat scene actually happening there hardly three metres in front of my eyes...

Did they change anything in that scene and the one before? Anything in the words or action to make it more, well, "clear-cut" (like a final kiss or something?)- I hope not...

I consider the theater "Fucking Åmål" as a piece of art on it's own! And a good one. This is what makes the story so great: There are so many different ways of interpretion.

Yup!

And what exactly was the function of the toys on the ground? I dind't quite get that. I noticed them on the pictures and didn't know what to make of them..

[nicolas]

And as it should be, the best part came in the end: The choclat scene actually happening there hardly three metres in front of my eyes...

Did they change anything in that scene and the one before? Anything in the words or action to make it more, well, "clear-cut" (like a final kiss or something?)- I hope not...

No, fortunately they didn't put I final kiss in it. The most remarkable change about that scen was that it was about chewin-gum in stead of o'boy. They made it look like they were going to kiss, and in stead of kissing they started spitting chewin-gum at eachother, which gave the scene the childish touch it should have.

And what exactly was the function of the toys on the ground? I dind't quite get that. I noticed them on the pictures and didn't know what to make of them..

I don't know about the exact meaning of the toys. Perhabs to maintain the impression that the play is not about adults. I can try and find out, I know someone who was involved