Norwegian Wood...

Here I am in Oslo, Norway!

After NINE hours of flying, some running through the halls of Heathrow to make a connection,and a 40 minute drive from the Oslo airport....I arrived safe and sound at an improv workshop being taught by a group of Columbian improvisers. AMAZING!

It's a strange feeling to get on a plan in Toronto, fall asleep, and then wake up on the other side of the world!

Oslo is totally beautiful! There are only half a million people here. The streets feel safe and are free of litter. There are gorgeous plazas everywhere with cafes and fountains to lounge at. There are CITY bikes at bike racks throughout the city - you can buy a yearly pass that gives you access to these bikes. You swipe your card to release a bike and all you have to do is make sure you return it to another City bike rack when you're done with it....and no one ever tries to steal these bikes. In a word: Civilized!

So far we have watched improv shows by the Danes, the Columbians, the Germans and the Swedes. Tonight Loose Moose performs on the same bill with Norweigians. The Columbians' work has been head and shoulders above the other groups so far. Really AMAZING work to watch. There are four of them: Beto, Cecilia, Felipe and Juan, their musician. As improvisers they are all extremely charming, generous and calm. Their work is wonderfully physical, funny, playful and relaxed. Not once did we see that frenetic, tense energy that can creep into so much improv. There was a constant joy of performing about them, and a delight in each others' work. They did a Harold type format that consisted of three different storylines that all came together in the end. Not ONCE did they "comment' on anything that happened - even when they struggled. The entire audience was blown away!

As for the other groups - there have been nice moments for everyone. It's been interesting to watch improv in so many different languages - and yet still see the improvisers struggling with the same issues that improvisers face everywhere. There is obviously a deep seeded, human condition at play that causes improvisers to TALK WAY TOO MUCH, to rarely allow themselves to be CHANGED by what's happening on the stage around them, to try too hard to be funny, to avoid telling stories, to not listen to each other, too much singing....FEAR of the unknown, FEAR of losing control, FEAR of not being liked, FEAR of being altered....You know, all the same fears that we face in life. All very normal and understandable in life, and yet oh, SO deadly on the STAGE. It leaves me both inspired that we're all in it together, and totally depressed that improv hasn't made any bigger steps forward....

We have another workshop this morning followed by a sight-seeing tour of the city. I can hardly wait! I also look forward to seeing some old friends here. About fifteen years ago a group of Norweigians came to the Loose Moose summer school the year I was working on a grant at the Moose. I made fast friends with all of them....and have kept loose tabs on them ever since. All three have gone on the find great success in Oslo. Harald Eia is a BIG star here and has his own TV show. Jan Paul also has a TV show of some kind (as well as a few children!)...and Thorbjorn Harr is a STATE actor at the National Theatre...(and I believe also played the Jack Tripper role on the Norwegian remake of Three's Company!). We'll see them tonight!

Imagine being a State Actor! A government employee - paid to put on plays! The arts occupy a whole other strata in Europe, as opposed to the ghetto-ised position they suffer in Canada. It's hard to wrap your mind around. I can only dream....

Anyhow. It's 7am Oslo time...I should really try to get another hour of sleep. This jet lag business is too much!

More later....
;-)