When the Dead Awakes is a historical play like you have never seen it. Stella Polaris presents a Nordic epic within the frame of a vision of a common origin for us all and a great whish for global unification. The burial grounds at Borre and throughout Vestfold County were very important sites for those who made them. They were sacred sites were rites were performed throughout the Viking era. This background is now explored further with the play staged by Stella Polaris.
The performance is presented in collaboration with Vestfold fylkeskommune, Midgard Historical Center, Vestfold festspilline and Horten kommune.
Thorugh studies of artifacts, written sources as Ibn Fadlan, Snorre Sturlassons Sagas and Tacitus as well as through exciting collaboration with the Historical Centre at Midgaard in Horten and it’s leader Terje Gansum, Stella Polaris wishes to recreate actions and incidents described in early texts from burials, weddings and fertility rites and bring them to new life through a spectacular outdoor performance.
Stella Polaris has invited national and international theatre workers and artists to join the project. Through Stella Polaris’ participation in the European Voluntary Service programme EVS (Aktiv Ungdom), 18 young actors and culture workers from various European countries participate with authentic folk art performances from their respective cultures. Stella Polaris believes that merging new knowledge of Nordic Mythology with different European cultural heritages, hitherto unknown common grounds will be revealed. Based on this work Stella Polaris wishes to present a vision of a common ancestry and a hope for global unification in the setting of a Nordic historical play.
Midgaard Historical Centre wrote on their website:
"Stella Polaris rounded off the day with their new production “When the Dead Awakes” The performance was full of energy, references to Nordic sources, freefloating and playfull acting with spectacular costumes. The audience was spellbound and carried away to a world of freedom and exuberance and we can honestly congratulate Stella Polaris with a brilliant performance!"
Dance- and theatre critic Fredrik Rütter note in Tønsbergs Blad :
“Life, The burial grounds at Borre and mortality” “All actors, young and old is burning with an intense energy. They dive into this story with passion, a wild rage and love. The audience is carried on a wave of history seething from the burial grounds and lifted back to the here and now.”
