THE BARBER OF SEVILLE
Norwegian Theatre Academy, March 2007
Idea, concept and model for an imaginary project tutored by Henning Schaller
Opera. A spectacle of colors and patterns where every image is more spectacular than the previous. Countless details to discover in several parallel stories to the one unfolded by the singers. With a huge world of pop-cultural references, animations, strip-teases, live news broadcasts and guns I wanted 'The Barber of Seville' to leave the sphere of high art and step into the world of entertainment. Steal everything that can be stolen, welcome to a true Google-opera.
The concept
In ‘The Barber of Seville’ Rosina is held captive by her guardian Bartolo who wants to marry her. But the hero, Lindoro, comes to save her together with his trusted friend Figaro. It is a comedy and I didn’t want to save anything for later. Bartolos house is a big, pink birdcage where Rosiana sits on a flowery swing as a bird, while on the outside striptease neon signs and Girls Girls Girls light up Figaro and Lindoro. The second floor has big blinds where Rosina turn into a sexy porn silhouette while changing clothes, and the music lesson is Guitar Hero played on a big screen that when not in use is streaming live news and music videos. All characters are collages of existing figures from movies and pop music mixed with Princess Peach, Mario, Luigi, Bowser and Toad from Nintendo’s Super Mario. Lindoro is a mixture between Mario, superman and NIN frontman Trent Reznor. Figaro is Mötley Crüe’s Vince Neil mixed with Luigi and Rosina start out as Princess Peach, but end up as Lora Croft. Bartolo is of course Bowser. To end the show a SWAT-team equipped with assault rifles and smoke granades comes down from the ceilling and is joined by an army of blackleathered S&M-soldiers in true Tom of Finland style with whips and oiled skin making the end a chaotic and smokefilled orgie of dancing, chasing and arresting.
Idea, concept and model for an imaginary project tutored by Henning Schaller
Opera. A spectacle of colors and patterns where every image is more spectacular than the previous. Countless details to discover in several parallel stories to the one unfolded by the singers. With a huge world of pop-cultural references, animations, strip-teases, live news broadcasts and guns I wanted 'The Barber of Seville' to leave the sphere of high art and step into the world of entertainment. Steal everything that can be stolen, welcome to a true Google-opera.
The concept
In ‘The Barber of Seville’ Rosina is held captive by her guardian Bartolo who wants to marry her. But the hero, Lindoro, comes to save her together with his trusted friend Figaro. It is a comedy and I didn’t want to save anything for later. Bartolos house is a big, pink birdcage where Rosiana sits on a flowery swing as a bird, while on the outside striptease neon signs and Girls Girls Girls light up Figaro and Lindoro. The second floor has big blinds where Rosina turn into a sexy porn silhouette while changing clothes, and the music lesson is Guitar Hero played on a big screen that when not in use is streaming live news and music videos. All characters are collages of existing figures from movies and pop music mixed with Princess Peach, Mario, Luigi, Bowser and Toad from Nintendo’s Super Mario. Lindoro is a mixture between Mario, superman and NIN frontman Trent Reznor. Figaro is Mötley Crüe’s Vince Neil mixed with Luigi and Rosina start out as Princess Peach, but end up as Lora Croft. Bartolo is of course Bowser. To end the show a SWAT-team equipped with assault rifles and smoke granades comes down from the ceilling and is joined by an army of blackleathered S&M-soldiers in true Tom of Finland style with whips and oiled skin making the end a chaotic and smokefilled orgie of dancing, chasing and arresting.