Reviews of Jonas
Fædrelandsvennen: Bjørneboe Honored – Kilden to a Great Start
Roll of the dice: 5
Kilden kicks off the Bjørneboe anniversary with a production of *Jonas* that appeals to a wide audience and offers deep insight into Jens Bjørneboe’s world as a thinker and social critic.
The Bjørneboe anniversary—marking 100 years since the great poet’s birth in Kristiansand—got off to a very strong start at Kilden evening. The nearly three-hour performance of “Jonas”—based on the 1955 novel of the same name—was engaging, intense, rocking, meaningful, memorable, and, yes, overwhelming.
Read the full review at fvn.no (abo).
Klassekampen: Man and Spirit
At Kilden , Jonas’s struggle is the struggle of humanity.
A novel this multifaceted is not easy to adapt for the stage. Both the overarching narrative and the exploration of its underlying philosophical themes must be given their due. In Malmfrid Hovsveen Hallum’s adaptation and Mari Vatne Kjelstadli’s direction, this has been achieved with elegance.
Read the full review in Klassekampen here (abo).
Unique: Jonas at Kilden
The production is full of contrasts. From an almost entirely realistic acting style, they switch to playing with small puppets, as if they were just children at play. From discussing serious and important topics, they shift to comedy. Throughout the performance, the audience experiences the full range of emotions.
I don't think it gets much better than combining nearly every conceivable element, posing some important and difficult questions to society, taking the audience from laughter to confusion, and featuring what is possibly Norway's coolest band.
Read the full review from Unikum here.
Norwegian Shakespeare Journal: Strong Start at Kilden
“Jonas” – a spectacular production, a dazzling display of theatrical possibilities in the anniversary year of Jens Bjørneboe
The production of*Jonas*, basedon Jens Bjørneboe’s novel, at Kilden can be described as a spectacular show—almost like a bomb—featuring powerful dramatic, scenic, and musical elements.
Read the full review on Norsk Shakespearetidsskrift here.
Performing Arts: Let’s Fight Salamandrism!
The production of Jens Bjørneboe’s *Jonas* at Kilden in Kristiansand invites the audience into a complex theatrical universe.
While Jonas’s individual story has clear dramatic potential, it is more complicated to bring to life the intricate web of philosophical and political reflections that form part of the main narrative. However, Malmfrid Hovsveen Hallum and director Mari Vatne Kjeldstadli have managed to do so in a very interesting and highly successful way.
Read the full review from Scenekunst here.
Dagsavisen: The best on stage right now!
Winter break is just around the corner, and the spring season on the theater stage offers both premieres and great plays for which tickets are still available. Here is Dagsavisen’s guide to the best theater experiences this winter and spring.
Jonas is highlighted in the review, which states, among other things: “Bjørneboe’s original 1955 novel has been transformed into an explosive dramatization in which the Honey Children’s hard-hitting, rumbling, and energetic punk music fuels the text, while the band members themselves, like the music, become an integral part of the ensemble (…)”
Read the full review from Dagsavisen here (subscription required)
Morgenbladet: Learning Under Coercion
This year marks the 100th anniversary of Jens Bjørneboe’s birth, and his rebellion against the school system has found its way onto several Norwegian theater stages. But where are the comprehensive school alternatives?
This spring, there is an unusually strong focus on school and youth rebellion in Norwegian theaters.
Read the full review from Morgenbladet here (subscription required)
DATE AND TIME:A powerful dramatization
The ensemble's seamless performance enhances Bjørneboe's critique.
Read the full review from DAG OG TID here (subscription required).
PODCAST: On-Stage Conversations
Scenekunst.no's podcast on the performing arts and criticism of them.
In the latest episode of Scenekunst.no’s podcast *Scenesamtaler*, editor Julie Rongved Amundsen speaks with dramaturg and writer Mariken Lauvstad, theater critic Anette Therese Pettersen, and theater critic Frøydis Århus about theater about school, theater about youth, and theater for youth. The productions discussed are Kilden in Kristiansand’s staging of Jens Bjørneboe’s novel*Jonas*, the National Theater’s production*Reform 97*, andthe Norwegian Theater’s staging of*Spring Awakening* byFrank Wedekind.
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