Jo Strømgren Kompani: The Virus at Den Norske Opera & Ballett

The Virus starts with the notion of an external threat, sealed off by thick walls and airtight hatches. The first hint of something not being quite right is the sudden malfunction of a simple artifact of daily life. Perhaps due to natural causes. Or maybe not. After an increasing number of strange incidents, it's clear that the whole perimeter is contaminated by a viral infection. But mutations occur quicker than the analytical scrutiny of the inhabitants, leading to a race for survival as symptoms alter with each outbreak.

The Virus is, after several years of exploring different formats and genres, a sought-after return to the essence of Jo Strømgren Kompani, to a mix of theatre and dance and nonsensical language. Humanistic, absurdist, and true to a storytelling tradition with unexpected twists around each corner.

The Virus features 4 performers in a confined space with limited amount of props, testing our theatre making competence to the maximum as well as challenging the audience's capacity to imagine and associate.

The Virus is a performance that dramaturgically alters its rules with every turning point. The story unfolds like an infection disease, stage by stage, where every new alteration is a possible threat that requires countermeasures. There is a logic to microscopic life but it is not the logic of the human brain. The dramaturgy will reflect this- if presented in the written word the story would be unbelieveable, but hopefully horrifically credible in a theatrical stage setting.