Hungry for likes

What happens when Knut Hamsun meets a female Eminem on Instagram? You might find out at Kilden fall, when Hamsun’s *Hunger* serves as the backdrop for a hip-hop musical.

- "I didn't understand how incredibly demanding it is to rap. It came as a bit of a shock to me," says Ina Maria Brekke. The 31-year-old has the lead role in "Sult1", the musical that has its world premiere in Kilden in November.

The stitch on the back

It was scriptwriter Jostein Kirkeby-Garstad who had the idea. He had long wanted to do something completely new on the Norwegian musical stage, and was fascinated by how the Broadway hit "Hamilton The Musical" had managed to make hip hop work in a musical about the American Civil War. But how could it be translated to Norwegian conditions? When OnklP got a national hit with "Styggen på ryggen", a light went on.

- Hip hop has traditionally represented aggression and the fight against power. But in the Norwegian context, it's often more about personal pain. In a country where everything is in order, many people prefer to turn their anger inwards," says Kirkeby-Garstad.

The modern hunger

The road from there to Knut Hamsun's novel was shorter than you might think.

- The young Hamsun challenged "The Big Four" to write more about psychological themes, which he eventually perfected in "Hunger". He was a bit of a rebel and stated that the writers of the time only wrote stories that revolved around the theme of whether the "two lovers" got together or not. With "Hunger1" we also want to oppose the traditional musical, which is all too often about love and death. We shed light on an intimate, personal and emotionally charged theme by using some untraditional means on stage - such as hip hop," says Kirkeby-Garstad.

Ina Maria Brekke plays a character who stages herself through her blog. A perfect girl who eventually loses her grip on who she really is.

- She's living one big lie. What she blogs about may seem honest, personal and naked to her readers, but it's not. She's lying both to herself and to them," says Brekke.

Dr. Dre and Mr. Kaizer

To learn how to rap, she got help from Simen Solli Schøien, who is a beatmaker and producer at Olyp, the sound studio of Paperboys and Cezinando, among others. Although Brekke had never rapped before, she was no stranger to the genre.

- Dr. Dre's 2001 album has been an important part of my youth. Now I can listen to his music in a whole new way. I notice the rhythms, hear how he chooses to flow on the beat and think hmm, maybe I can do that too," she says.

In addition, long-time theatre musician and guitarist in the now disbanded Kaizers Orchestra, Geir Zahl, is involved in the project. His theatrical and poetic music suits modern hip hop very well, says scriptwriter Kirkeby-Garstad.

No excuse

The lead actress recognizes the pressure to be perfect, that self-worth only arises when you are seen by others. But she believes it has become worse in recent years.

- "Young people today are constantly being told that they have every opportunity, that they can become anything they want. That's great, but at the same time it's a curse, because then there's no excuse for not becoming something great. And when is enough enough? If you've become a reality star and author at the age of 22, where can you go from there?" she asks.

Screenwriter Kirkeby-Garstad is critical of the trend where everyone talks about their problems as if they are chapters in the past.

- "We celebrate everyone who is brutally honest about their struggles, but we forget that it can mean they're still struggling. If you say you've been ill, it doesn't necessarily mean you're completely healthy now," he says. At the same time, he believes that being open can be the way out.

- At its core, losing control is a very human thing. If you dare to show that you're struggling with something, maybe that's the way out. Only then can you dare to let others join your team," he concludes.

TEXT KRISTIN ØYGARDEN
PHOTO ANITA SÆDBERG