Saturday, October 11, 2003
The Guardian has investigated the Danish theatre-world and found it wanting. Today's paper has a scathing review, that transforms into an exploration into the Danish mentality.
Life is good in Denmark, they write, which is why it can't produce any decent drama.
The gist of the article is that although Danish plays address many serious subjects, such as terminal illness and (especially) suicide, Denmark is actually a thoroughly ordered, homogenous, conservative, affluent, bike-riding (...) society in which Danes do not, in actual fact, have anything to complain about. Furthermore, in order to maintain this slice of efficiency that Denmark is, Danes are underlying strict rules and regulations that, in the end, restrict more than they liberate.
Perhaps this is why we cannot produce anything other than highly stylised bubblegum pop and, ehm, bacon? (This is not true, I know, I know, Kashmir and jazz music and Arne Jacobsen and Day and all that stuff, but roll with it for a moment.) Is that why the ending of Shake It All About disappears into a cloud of magic? And why Okay happily ends with a cheery sing-song? And why the web-site for new Danish film 2 Ryk og En Aflevering is full of happy, horny willies, not exactly subtle and definitely neither cute nor funny?
That said, I'm happy with the Danish system. Because of this, I have been given a grant for many years, so that I can study and eat at the same time. If I'm in Denmark, I don't have to worry about getting ill, because I can go to the hospital for free. The streets are clean and the food is not full of all sorts of shit that I have no control over whatsoever.
And Denmark produces some of the best design in the world.
Danish theatre is not all rubbish, but it does seem that edgy, inventive stuff is lacking. Perhaps it can be found on the fringes or perhaps the Danish mentality is just not meant for intense, heart-wrenching plays.
We do after all have a long tradition for variety shows (link in Danish, sorry).
Life is good in Denmark, they write, which is why it can't produce any decent drama.
The gist of the article is that although Danish plays address many serious subjects, such as terminal illness and (especially) suicide, Denmark is actually a thoroughly ordered, homogenous, conservative, affluent, bike-riding (...) society in which Danes do not, in actual fact, have anything to complain about. Furthermore, in order to maintain this slice of efficiency that Denmark is, Danes are underlying strict rules and regulations that, in the end, restrict more than they liberate.
Perhaps this is why we cannot produce anything other than highly stylised bubblegum pop and, ehm, bacon? (This is not true, I know, I know, Kashmir and jazz music and Arne Jacobsen and Day and all that stuff, but roll with it for a moment.) Is that why the ending of Shake It All About disappears into a cloud of magic? And why Okay happily ends with a cheery sing-song? And why the web-site for new Danish film 2 Ryk og En Aflevering is full of happy, horny willies, not exactly subtle and definitely neither cute nor funny?
That said, I'm happy with the Danish system. Because of this, I have been given a grant for many years, so that I can study and eat at the same time. If I'm in Denmark, I don't have to worry about getting ill, because I can go to the hospital for free. The streets are clean and the food is not full of all sorts of shit that I have no control over whatsoever.
And Denmark produces some of the best design in the world.
Danish theatre is not all rubbish, but it does seem that edgy, inventive stuff is lacking. Perhaps it can be found on the fringes or perhaps the Danish mentality is just not meant for intense, heart-wrenching plays.
We do after all have a long tradition for variety shows (link in Danish, sorry).
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