Nordisk Teaterlaboratorium recently started rehearsals for the first home production of the year – HUMAN CAN. To develop the show, Nordisk Teaterlaboratorium is working with the multi-artist Villads Bugge and circus artist Ward Mortier, who have managed to look at cryonics through a theatrical lens.
The concept of living forever
According to pseudosciene, we can look forward to a future where reviving cryogenically frozen people is possible – scientists just have to figure out exactly how to do it first.
Regardless, some American companies already offer to freeze and store dead bodies in the hopes that, once the future arrives and the technology has been developed, these people can be revived and given new life. This is exactly what HUMAN CAN sets out to explore.
The team at Nordisk Teaterlaboratorium is working on the performance with Villads Bugge. The aim is to explore how theories of science and art intersect to challenge our existence, ethics, and desire for eternal life.
The first example of our future "theatre laboratory"
HUMAN CAN is Nordisk Teaterlaboratorium's first home production of the year, and thus marks a whole new way of producing:
"Nordisk Teaterlaboratorium has moved from having an ensemble to focusing on independent artists and theatre. Because of this, HUMAN CAN will be the first example of what our own home productions can look like moving forward. We no longer have a fixed ensemble on stage; instead, our creative team collaborates with independent artists to create a performance," says Per Kap Bech Jensen, the director at Nordisk Teaterlaboratorium.
The performance emerges through an experimental residency, during which Villads Bugge and Ward Mortier explore various ideas, directions, and moods. The theatre's creative team then acts as a guide, providing advice and inspiration throughout the process.
"Developing the performance in a space so rich in expertise is great. We get several perspectives and are introduced to new ways of approaching the show – it's very motivating," says Villads Bugge.
Time plays a part
Nordisk Teaterlaboratorium is one of 27 regional theatres in Denmark. As such, we are entering the new 2025-2028 period and will use this new beginning to focus on the potential of future performing arts in Denmark:
"As a producer of performing arts in Denmark, we have a responsibility to ensure that the theatre industry evolves across genres, generations, and audiences, so we can contribute to its future. We stand on the shoulders of those who came before us. This foundation guides us as we strive to be an open, constructive community with enough time and space for artistic productions. To create new art, it is essential that we reach new audiences," explains Per Kap Bech Jensen.
Villads Bugge and Ward Mortier are working on the performance through three periods of production:
"The high intensity here is amazing – since we're here all day and don't have to think about transportation and those practicalities, we get to delve deeper into the creative process. On the other hand, it's also nice to have breaks between the production periods, where we get to reflect on the process," explains Villads Bugge.
Development is well underway, and HUMAN CAN premieres at Nordisk Teaterlaboratorium on May 13, 2025. Subsequently, the show will visit the Copenhagen theatre festival, CPH Stage, where you can catch it on May 22nd at Aveny-T, Frederiksberg.
