Charming the audience in a flash: "Nerbyen – a glimpse into history"
Klassekampen called the anniversary performance Nerbyen – a Bluff in History “an important story in a humorous and creative packaging.” The audience was drawn into the story of Trondheim’s Jewish quarter.
photo and text: Martin Farstad Borg
A district with history
This year's anniversary performance at the Jewish Cultural Festival, Nerbyen – a trip to history, took the audience into the streets where Norway's only Jewish quarter once stood. Here, trade flourished from the 1870s until World War II – with around thirty shops and a Jewish community that left its mark on the city.
The audience is drawn in
Klassekampen highlighted how the story came alive through a mix of humor, music and direct audience involvement:
"The actors actively draw the audience into the performance and charm us deeply."
Strong creative team
With direction by Øyvind Brandtzæg and the ensemble from Rabarbrateateret, combined with Jenny Hilmo Teig's playful costumes and newly written scores by Øyvind Jo Heimdal Eik, the story of Nerbyen was told with both a twinkle in the eye and a seriousness at its core.
Everyday life in the city center
Although the play was based on the history of immigration and recalls pogroms and deportations, it was daily life that took center stage. Trade, language intricacies, song and dance gave a close and human picture of a district that has long been little known in the city's history.
Educational and life-affirming
Klassekampen concluded that the performance was both educational and entertaining:
"They play with language, throw off conventions, and give us an educational performance that will put us in a really good mood."
Nerbyen – a Blip in History was left behind as a performance that reminded us of what was lost, but at the same time celebrated the vitality of Trondheim's Jewish community.
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