Brings Anna Karenina from Vladivostok to North Norway
Renowned Norwegian actress Gørild Mauseth is in the leading role when actors and producers from the Gorky Dramatic Theatre in Vladivostok come to Harstad to present a unique version of Tolsoy’s classic play Anna Karenina.
During the Arts Festival of North Norway (Festspillene i Nord-Norge), the audience will get a chance to see a Norwegian-Russian collaboration which has already taken Vladivostok with storm. 20 actors and technicians will take the long road from Eastern Russia to Northern Norway to take part in a one-night-only performance of Anna Karenina in Norwegian and Russian.
“I’m thrilled to be invited to the Arts Festival of North Norway together with the whole cast from Vladivostok,“ Mauseth says to BarentsObserver. “I’m very, very proud of this production, and I’m excited to see how the audience will receive it.”
Gørild Mauseth from Kjøllefjord in Finnmark has since November 2013 travelled to Vladivostok once every four months to play Anna Karenina in Russian together with the Gorky Dramatic Theatre. Before this, she toured Norway for six months playing the same role together with Norwegian theatre Riksteateret, only this time in Norwegian.
As part of preparing to the role as Anna Karenina, Mauseth travelled 11,000 kilometers by train across Russia, making stops in Murmansk and Solovki. Her husband, Italian director Tommaso Mottola, is making a documentary about the actress’ preparations to the role. Watch a video about the project here.
In Harstad Gørild Mauseth plays Anna in Norwegian whilst the rest of the cast speak in Russian. “This effect helps to underline Anna’s alienation and isolation,“ the festival’s website reads. Anna Karenina is a married woman who succumbs to the intoxicating charm of the self-assured captain Vronsky. Shunned by polite society, her relationship with Vronsky becomes ever more turbulent. Anna is thrown into a well of despair and takes her life by throwing herself under a train.
The director of the play is Norwegian Morten Borgersen. His understated interpretation of Tolstoy´s classic gives it a Scandinavian flavor. The minimalism makes the story even more touching, and is complemented by unadorned and elegant scenography. The story is adapted to stage by Armin Petras. Milia Salovaara is responsible for scenography and costumes. Choreographer is Ingun Bjørnsgaard, light technician is Morten Reinan, and Lars Årdal is author of the musical arrangements.
Director Valentina Sedova and Artistic Director Efim Zvenyatsky of Gorky Dramatic Theatre will be present in Harstad, Gørild Mauseth says. It was Zvenyatsky who took the initiative to show Anna Karenina in Vladiostok with Mauseth in the main role.
The performance in Harstad is a joint production by the Arts Festival of North Norway, Gorky Dramatic Theatre and Orto Polare.
