Remember the sweet taste of raspberries when you long for the field.
They are neither of this world nor the other. They know the myths of the spirits of the lands, the gods of the forests, the voices of the ancestors. They are connected to the earth and to the eternal blue sky. They know that to hear one must go deaf, to see one must go blind, and to live one must die.
«Raspberry Field» is a devised piece inspired by the shamanic initiation rituals of Siberia, Kyrgyz Tengriism and the paintings and poems by our Kyrgyz actress and theatre maker Aijamal Nova. Co-directing with Nova is the up-rising German director, writer and actress Thekla Raestrup. The play was chosen for the International Festival of New Work in London, United Kingdom, in late November of 2020 and premiered at the Corbett Theatre.
In the play, we follow the story of seven unnamed women (an all female ensemble: Olivia Andrews, Emma Berenmark, Martha Olufsen, Naima Sjoholm, Anemone Rasmussen, Aijamal Nova and Thekla Raestrup) as they journey through unmarked lands in an unknown time, in search for their raspberry field.
Symbolically, the field stands for the mythical place without pain or troubles. However, as the piece unfolds, the idea of the raspberry field becomes more illusive and personal to each performer and thus for the audience as well. Throughout the piece, we witness the poetic and sacrificial journey of these women, who transform to creatures, to elements and at the end back into children. Songs and a wide variety of instruments accompany their choreography. The performance clearly cites the style of Jerzy Grotowsky in its simplicity and its reliance on body and voice to create an ever changing atmosphere. The support of acclaimed Polish movement coach and choreographer Marcin Rudy is visible in the subtlety of the choreography itself. Working closely with the ensemble, the lighting department led by Philip A. Hamilton responds with organic spontaneity to the events on stage. With the dynamic exchange between the actresses and the tech team, a living and breathing performance full of unexpected moments unfolds. Of course, such spontaneity comes at a cost. In some moments we witness the development of pauses that hinder the flow. This, however, «is nothing that extra rehearsal time couldn’t fix,» the directors say.
While the performers are all uniquely original, none stands out as much as the young Kyrgyz actress Aijamal Nova. Not only were her artistic works the basis of the piece, but she is the embodiment of what Peter Brook called «Holy Theatre». Her performance is deeply honest and connected to what can only be described as an unseen spiritual world. The balance between Raestrup’s love for detail and unique working style and Nova’s knowledge and passion for Ritual Theatre and Shamanism makes them an inspiring directing team.
Link to the «Raspberry Field» trailer : https://vimeo.com/757203164
