J. Offenbach’s “Orpheus in the Underworld” – Folkoperan, Stockholm

av Carina Reich, Bogdan Szyber & Peder Bjurman Fritt efter Jacques Offenbachs & Hector Crémieuxs "Orfée aux Enfers"

Orpheus in the Underworld, directed by Carina Reich and Bogdan Szyber, opened at the Folkopera on October 2 and 3. As well as the Folkopera singers, there are acrobats, mime artistes and a circus prince. The tempo is high, not least on account of the dominating musical theme – “Galop Infernal”, aka the Can-can music – that chases through the entire performance; a performance that makes full use of both the vertical and horizontal dimensions with the audience placed around a long table at the centre.

The action takes place in an underworld tavern where Eurydice is at last about to make her singing debut. But in the middle of her performance, Orpheus arrives to take his love back home. With her past finally catching up with her, Eurydice is no longer sure whether she wants to be rescued. Love is wonderful, but so is the limelight… For Orpheus there are only two alternatives, to die for love or to let love die.

For Orpheus in the Underworld the whole auditorium has been reconstructed, so that instead of the usual rows of seats a long table is placed in the stalls. The audience sits around the table or on stands along the sides. Expect a lot of surprises from this production. Orpheus in the Underworld is one of the very few Folkopera performances where not everything is sung in Swedish! To create the special ambience, sprinklings of other languages have been included. French inclines the songs towards the chanson tradition, German towards the wartime Berlin cabaret, and English towards vaudeville, circus and show.

Concept, direction, costumes and stage design: Carina Reich and Bogdan Szyber

Dialogue: Peder Bjurman

Musical direction: Kerstin Nerbe

Conductors: Kerstin Nerbe, Jonas Dominique

Lighting: Linus Fellbom

Masks and wigs: Jenny Martinpelto

Performers:

Ulric Björklund / Joaquin Muñoz

Elin Carlsson / Agneta Eichenholz

Thomas Lander / Ulf Lundmark

Katarina Giotas / Paula Hoffman

Christina Högman / Miriam Treichl

Staffan Jennehov / Michael Weinius

Andreas Skjönberg

Dag Andersson

Niclas Stureberg

The Folkopera Chorus and Orchestra