The Spirit of the Fringe is alive! Zoo TV have assembled a brilliant array of talent online – The Mumble caught up with a member of the Danish contingent

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Hello Tue – where are you from & where do you currently live?
I am from Denmark and I live in in Copenhagen.
 
What got you into theatre in the first place & can you tell us a little about your training?
I fell into theatre by accident. In high school I helped a friend who went to a casting for a role in the school play. I was queuing behind him line and ended up auditioning – and it was me who got the role. I am absolutely not an actor, but it was the beginning for me, and in the following years I directed shows at the school. After that I always worked in theatre. I studied four years directing at the Danish National School of performing arts- but that’s long ago in another century.

Can you tell us about the theatrical scene in Denmark?
It’s very varied. I think its very dynamic and ambitious and there’s so much talent in all genres of stage art. We are very curious and inspired by all kinds of foreign theatre.
 
Last year you brought your ‘Land Without Dreams’ to the Gate Theatre – can you tell us about the experience?
It was thrilling to hear the text in a new and very beautiful language and the collaboration with Gate Theatre was exceptionally good – incredibly inspiring.
 
So Covid19 has affected just about everyone across the world – what did you learn about yourself from the lockdown?
I found out that I must be an introvert in some degree, because isolation with my family basically suited me very well. After a period of trying to understand and adapt to the situation, and after coming close to divorce with my wife two or three times, I eventually found it very nice to take a break, where I couldn’t take action and just had to wait.

In 2017 ‘ROCKY! RETURN OF THE LOSER’ was a smash-hit in Denmark – why do you think this was?
The performance is very much about myself and how I find myself feeling frustrated, shameful and paralysed by witnessing the right-wing movement in Europe. And I wanted to challenge myself and all my good left-wing, humanistic intensions and my own lack of tolerance. Its very much me and people like me who get knocked out in this show; and that’s more interesting than just pointing my finger at the others, I think.
 
There is a political aspect to the piece – can you tell us about this?
I’d rather not explain that too much. But I hope it creates a complex experience that leaves the audience with some challenging questions and memories of the show.
 
How much of the original film is layered into the piece?
It’s very important to say that this is not the motion picture Rocky. It’s about an artist talking about his relation to the movie and how his own idealisation of the lowlife protagonist, is based on arrogance and superiority. It starts with his love for Rocky but then it develops in a direction far from the movie. The protagonist ends beaten up, because Rocky won’t tolerate any more, being at the bottom of the pile, where I actually want to keep him.
 
You’re about to get involved in Zoo’s online festival – how did you get the call & can you tell us about the project?
We were going to present Rocky live at the Edinburgh festival, and now this is another way to still present the show for an audience. I am very curious how people will react and hope it also works in a digital media.

How has ROCKY evolved since 2017?
We went on tour in Denmark the year after and now we are preparing for international touring. Rocky has also been produced by other theatres in Sweden and Iceland and will soon be produced in Helsinki and Austria. I really hope it will be possible to get the show out soon.
 
How have you found directing a show in an age of social distancing?
I am still adjusting. It’s a completely new challenge but I am used to bringing am audience into new and unexpected situations, and also creating pieces where the audience are physically distanced from each other. But I am looking for the right material and reason to do it in this new frame, under these circumstances.
 
What emotive responses do you hope to get from an online audience?
All response is interesting. Most frustrating would be not getting any response.

What else from the #DANISH – MEET THE DANES  should we be on the look-out for?
I would say all of it. I think it’s a very brought and interesting curating of Danish stage art.
 
Thanks Tue & one last question, what are your future artistic plans?
We are planning our next show My Deer Hunter, which was closed down three weeks from premiere in March. Now we are opening in October. And we are planning a new huge performance called “WE THE 1%” in January next year.

‘ROCKY! RETURN OF THE LOSER

#ZOOTV – ZOO VENUE’S ONLINE EDINBURGH FRINGE

18th August

Live Stream from 2PM approx