This Autumn we are delighted to welcome the Askeraden Drama Group to Ballyshannon to present their version of Ibsen’s ‘Peer Gynt’. The production is a slightly reduced version to allow for travel restrictions, and will be performed in the Abbey Arts Centre on October the 1st at 8pm as part of the Donegal Bay and Bluestacks Festival.
Here’s the synopsis of the play from the group themselves: ‘This year Askeraden are diving into the dramatic depths of Ibsen’s literary world. We are creating our own variation on Ibsen’s iconic romantic dramatic poem; Peer Gynt. The lead male role, Peer Gynt, will be played as a female role in our version of the dramatic tale. We meet the young Pe Gynt as a modern teenager with Attitude. Pe launches herself into a life of impulsive wandering to fulfill ambition, and introvert procrastination as her sand castles crumble in the tide. Morten Andreas Kise, an experienced member of Askeraden, has adapted the original manuscript for this Askeraden production.
Pe is about to embark on a quest to ambitious self-realisation as we join her rollercoaster ride through life. Starting in her real world, we are whisked up into her imaginary heroic scenes, then swept down into the sublime and surreal drama within a troubled soul to share moments of peculiar perspective. Pe completes a circle of life, at last to find some solace in being loved.
Is it madness to worship ambition? Shall we sacrifice everything to ambition? Ambition has layer after layer of ambition, with layer after layer of compromise and sacrifice? Is there no core, no value, no soul, no final realisation? Will there be no fellow traveller?
Askeraden will take you on Pe Gynt’s journey. Ride with us through Ibsen’s masterful tour in search of self realisation, to be oneself, to be good enough. Is that enough?’
The group are coming here as part of an exchange which was set up by Phelim Rooney, originally from Kinlough but now resident in Asker, Oslo, and John Travers, which saw Ballyshannon Drama Society travel to Oslo last year with ‘The God of Carnage’. We’re only too happy to have a chance to return the hospitality we were shown, and to introduce the Norwegians (and the Dane in the group) to the finer aspects of Ballyshannon life and culture!