Momo eller kampen om tiden

A co-production with Stadsteatern/Stockholm's City Theater Skärholmen, after the novel by Michael Ende.

In the pleasant little town, strange things begin to take place. Why have people suddenly stopped meeting, speaking and socializing? Why aren’t people visiting each other anymore and why doesn't anyone have time? Who exactly are the Men in Gray sneaking around and why can't anyone see them? One day Momo happens to spot these time thieves, who cause time to disappear without a trace. She is catapulted into a fierce battle for time itself. And in this struggle, she and her friends are tested: Momo, the best listener in the world, Beppo the street cleaner, Professor Hora, the magical turtle Cassiopeia and Gigi the tour guide who does nothing but lie. Or does he? The performance is based on Michael Ende's novel Momo or The Men in Gray, one of the world's most widely read books for young adults.

In addition to the strong ensemble, including performers such as Siri Hamari, Jan Unestam, Piotr Giro and Sven Wollter, around twenty local enthusiasts and an equal number of circus students from Sweden’s School of Dance and Circus took part. The objective here was to promote active local participation in artistic and creative endeavours.

Another of our aims was to revitalize contemporary circus as a creative meeting place for different art forms and modes of expression, as well as to bridge the boundaries between audiences and performers, professionals and amateurs, children and adults, locally and internationally. An important part of this was our work with local audiences. Together with ABF, the Workers’ Educational Association (an NGO and the largest study association in Sweden), we held workshops in set design, production, marketing and make-up. We also organized related activities which we called Stjärnstunder, Star Moments, with the goal of creating meeting places beyond the production itself, thereby broadening our reach. Some examples: a lecture with physicist and author Bodil Jönsson who has written extensively on our relationship to time, open stages, story time and competitions at schools and libraries. Moreover, every single show was sold out – nary an empty seat in the house!  

Momo is the little girl who, because of her freedom from everything that ordinarily binds us, poses a threat to The Men in Gray and their attempts to steal people's time. Momo has a very special power, she listens, and in doing so she draws out the imagination and creativity of everyone she meets.

Ensemble

Momo: Siri Hamari
Gigi: Piotr Giro
Beppo: Lars Göran Persson, Per Eggers
Gray Gentleman: Jan Unestam
Cassiopeia: Anna Lagerkvist
Professor Hora: Sven Wollter
Musician: Frederik Iversen

With the participation of 16 enthusiasts from the suburban district of Skärholmen and Botkyrka Municipality and 17 students from the circus program at Sweden’s School of Dance and Circus.

Creative Team

Directed by: Niklas Hjulström
Circus directed by: Tilde Björfors
Set design & Costumes: Fridjon Rafnsson
Circus construction: Ulf Poly Nylin
Choreography: Ossi Niskala
Lighting: Patrik Bogårdh
Makeup: Claes Wiberg.
Producer, Stadsteatern/Stockholm City Theater: Lisen Boalt
Producers, Cirkus Cirkör: Lars Wassrin and Ida Burén