Everything that can go wrong does go wrong – The Guys in the Christmas Tree House
Andy and Terry are back. Now the guys in the tree house will celebrate Christmas over a modest 104 floors - filled with everything from cloning machines to shark pools. Just look forward to the madness.
Actors Ann Ingrid Fuglestveit-Mortensen and Ghopi Prabaharan are recharging their batteries for a rare theater marathon. Over the course of an oval-shaped Christmas month, they will perform a total of 29 shows as Andy and Terry. This time, it's the newly written Christmas show "The Boys in the Christmas Tree House" that will be performed in front of hordes of children.
- "It wouldn't be a bad idea to be able to clone yourself now," says Ann Ingrid with a laugh, referring to the days when they will perform two shows on the ramp.
The energy of a packed hall with expectant children and adults cheering Andy and Terry on in frightened delight is fuel for the actors.
- "It's great to create a show where children don't have to sit quietly on a stool for two hours, or be shushed. Children are explorers, enthusiasts, different people, boundary breakers...," says Ann Ingrid.
- ... and we're looking forward to it like kids," adds partner Ghopi, promising that the door to laughter will be wide open for both the grandparent generation and the children themselves.
They are joined by Ina Maria Brekke and Johannes Blåsternes from Kilden Theatre's regular ensemble, as well as 32 actors from UngdomsKilden.
"It wouldn't be a bad idea to be able to clone yourself now"
Ann Ingrid Fuglestveit-Mortensen, actress.
Six million light bulbs
Anyone who has read the crazy books about "The Boys in the Tree House" will probably get their money's worth and recognize the crazy ideas and universal challenges. The latter are usually blown up to enormous dimensions by the radar couple Andy and Terry.
- This may be the recipe for success. They are not adults pretending to be children. They are adults reacting to normal issues in a - to put it mildly - abnormal environment, with the situational comedy that can arise," say the actors.
Like when the Christmas tree lights go out and you have to
to find the one bulb that needs replacing. Somewhere in the 104 floors that make up the Christmas tree house.
- It's manageable when you have a sling with 20 lights. It's something completely different when
you have 6,555,020 light bulbs on your Christmas tree!
Ann Ingrid laughs.
- "This is where the ninja snails - a well-known substance for blood fans - come to the rescue," she reveals. But she won't reveal more. "We'll have to come and see for ourselves.
As usual, the guys in the tree house are under time pressure to finish a book, and when the publisher pays an unannounced visit, they lie and say they're almost done with everything.
- Andy and Terry are dizzy, have poor memories and are characterized by enormous hubris. So it all works out in the end, even though they have been known to slip across the finish line at the last minute. As most of us do at times," say the lead actors.
"We hope that the children will come in Santa costume and join in shouting: I am the real Santa!"
Ghopi Prabaharan
Ghopi Prabaharan and Ann Ingrid Fuglestveit-Mortensen.
Santa Claus gets cloned
Everything that goes wrong has consequences in this universe. Not normal consequences, but gigantic consequences. When the Christmas tree lights don't work, it's hard for Santa to find his way in the pitch black. He crashes into the tree house with the reindeer and falls out of the sleigh.
- Straight into the cloning machine, of course,
laughs Ann Ingrid.
The result is a horde of Santas swarming around the tree house, because the cloning machine doesn't stop at one copy.
- This leaves Andy and Terry with a real headache. How are they going to decide who is the real Santa Claus? Among so many identical copies, who both speak and think like the original," says Ann Ingrid.
She has children of her own in the target group, and believes that those who have grown up with the books will have a heartfelt reunion with all the crazy antics and inventions that Andy and Terry bubble over with.
- The fact that we have these fantastic books in relief makes it incredibly meaningful to work on this piece," they explain.
All children - and everyone who has a child in them - can identify with a universe where everything is possible, and where everything that is possible happens.
- Our hope is that the audience will sit on the edge of their seats and gasp, make cheerful calls and suggestions to Andy and Terry and become part of the show themselves," says Ghopi.
Excited about Kilden
This is Ghopi's first time on stage
in Kilden, and he has to admit that it's not entirely coincidental.
- I love to travel around and see theater
in other parts of the country when I have some free time, and Kilden caught my interest early on. There's something about the energy in the building, and there's also something about the building itself. It has fantastic conditions for creating exciting and groundbreaking performing arts. When I was offered the role, I was super happy," he says.
Ghopi, originally from Sunnmøring, has experience as a presenter at NRK, has been associated with both Teater Innlandet and Akershus Teater, and has experience in the film industry. He loves acting in children's theater.
- Children openly show their emotions as an audience. We hope they'll come in Santa costume and join us in shouting "I'm the real Santa"!
He believes that there can be a lot of good dynamics in the fact that today's audience may not have the same formal education and background that the previous generation grew up with.
- Adults are always polite. Children are honest and say everything they mean.
In particular, he remembers a piece of feedback he received when he played a troll who didn't want to go to kindergarten for fear that no one would want to be with him.
- A little girl came up to me right after the play was finished and said: "I can be your friend".
Amalie Nilssen, theater managerExclusive to Kilden
Three years have passed since Kilden Teater toured Agder schools with the performance "The boys in the tree house", based on the popular children's books by Australians Andy Griffiths and Terry Denton.
- The performances were a success, and when we approached the writers with a request for a specially written story, they didn't say no.
to get. The result is a Christmas story with all the ingredients you can imagine," says theater manager and director Amalie Nilssen.
She has reworked the commissioned work for the stage, and has tried to create a show that is as crazy and playful as the books. There will be a reunion with several of Andy and Terry's old enemies, and of course Mr. Bubble Wrap. He is a kind of HSE manager who will inspect the tree house and ensure that all regulations are followed.
- The aim is to make children want to turn off their screens and build cabins, climb trees and see that kitchen scissors can become a shark - and the bathtub can become a shark pool," says the director.
The story may become a book in the course of next year. But first it will be told in Kilden.
This year's Christmas performance
THE GUYS IN THE CHRISTMAS TREE HOUSE
World premiere November 30
Also playing during the Christmas period up to and including December 29
Commissioned work written for Kilden by Andy Griffiths and Terry Denton
Regi: Amalie Nilssen
Co-directed by: Christine Helland
Stage design: Frode Holgersen and
Camilla Lilleengen
Choreography: Kiersten Kauffman
Costume design: Janne Robberstad
Lighting design: Joakim Foldøy
Sound design: Simen Hefte Endresen
Cast:
Ann Ingrid Fuglestveit-Mortensen
Ghopi Prabaharan
John the Bluestar
Ina Maria Brekke
Youth Source
Text Amund Hestsveen
Photo Jon-Petter Thorsen