Show length (minutes):90
Creative teamPrimož Bezjak, Eero Epner, Branko Jordan, Mart Kangro, Katarina Stegnar, Juhan Ulfsak (Slovenia, Estonia)
Language:English
Fun Fact is an
international coproduction by three authors from Slovenia (Bezjak, Stegnar,
Jordan) and three from Estonia (Epner, Kangro, Ulfsak). The team cleverly
addresses the context of the national from the position of researching the
essence of how the common is constituted. Through national catastrophes,
through games, key events? Construction of national memory is a political
minefield, but artistic treasure chest; story after story, fun fact after fun
fact, until the whirlwind of all facts takes us to the storm in which none of
the facts count for anything, only stories are competing, which will be more
convincing, enticing, which one will catch our attention and which one will
lose the competition with the urge to look into a screen, where fun facts are –
infinite.
About artists
Katarina Stegnar (b
1976, Ljubljana, Slovenia) is an actress, performer, movement artist,
researcher, deviser who has been active in Slovenian theatre since 1999. With
her creativity she has left a mark particularly in the independent scene –
she’s one of the most active collaborators of the platform for research,
development and production of contemporary stage art Via Negativa, a member of
Betontanc and its spin-off, the Beton Ltd., a collective that has staged a
number of successful performances.
Primož Bezjak (b
1977) is one of the most looked-for performers in the contemporary performing
art scene in Slovenia, working as an actor, contemporary dancer, choreographer
and performer. For the last 13 years he is employed in Slovensko Mladinsko
Theater (SMG Ljubljana). He was also a member of Betontanc group for 20 years
and is a member and cofounder of the Beton Ltd., a collective that has staged
numerous successful performances, most recently Grosse Erwartungen and Ich kann
nicht anders. He has been collaborating with numerous NGOs and institutional
theatres.
Juhan Ulfsak (b
1973) is actor and theatre director. In the 1990s and early 2000s he was one
the main driving forces of Von Krahl Theatre, which reshaped the Estonian
theatre landscape. At the same time Ulfsak started his international career
working in Germany, Belgium, Finland etc, and participating in several movies
becoming one of the most engaged film actors in Estonia. In 2010s he has
established himself also as theatre director working both with small groups and
in bigger drama theatres of Estonia, but also elsewhere. He has directed works
by Houellebecq, Pasolini, von Trier etc. In recent years Ulfsak has won
numerous prizes both for his acting and directing.
Mart Kangro (b
1974), performer and director is not averse to radical changes. In the early
2000s he quit working as a dancer at the Estonian National Ballet and started
off his career as a performer by creating independent works. His productions
established the first wave of theatre locating on the crossroads between
performance and theatre in Estonia. Working on and behind the borders of body,
word, space, time etc Kangro quickly became a performer who worked and
performed in numerous countries both in Europe and outside. Since 2010s Kangro
has worked as a director also with drama actors. His works are always based on
the concrete situation and performers, texts will be devised. Kangro has won
several prizes.
Eero Epner (b 1978)
is dramaturge, art historian and journalist. He worked in Theatre NO99
(2004-2018) and since then has worked as a freelance dramaturge. He has curated
exhibitions of both modern and contemporary artists in Estonia and abroad,
written monographies etc. As journalist he mostly writes longreads about
different topics. Ulfsak, Kangro and Epner have so far coworked twice. Workshop
(2019) and It Stays As It Is (2021) were internationally touring productions
with emphasis on the relation between the performers, audience and space.
Branko Jordan (b
1977) is actor and educator. In the past twenty years he worked extensively in
different fields of theatre and became one of the most prominent Slovenian
actors of his generation. He was a member of ensembles of Slovenian National
Theatre Maribor and Slovenian National Theatre Drama Ljubljana among others and
collaborated with numerous non-institutional groups and theatres in Slovenia
and abroad.
Credits
Concept and
direction: Primož Bezjak, Eero Epner, Branko Jordan, Mart Kangro, Katarina
Stegnar, Juhan Ulfsak
Performers: Primož
Bezjak, Eero Epner, Mart Kangro, Katarina Stegnar, Juhan Ulfsak
Lighting design and
technical direction: Andrej Petrovčič
Music and sound
design: Jure Vlahovič, Rok Kovač
Costume
design: Olja Grubić
Executive
producers: Maja Vižin (Bunker), Eneli Järs (Kanuti Gildi SAAL)
Assistant
producer: Ajda Koloini
Produced by: Bunker,
Ljubljana; Kanuti Gildi SAAL, Tallin; Eero Epner, Juhan Ulfsak, Mart Kangro
Supported by: Ministry
of Culture of the Republic of Slovenia, City of Ljubljana, European Union –
Culture Moves Europe programme, Cultural Endowment of Estonia, Estonian
Ministry of Culture, Goethe Institute, Ridango