Erik Smith-Meyer

Erik Smith-Meyer (født 4.1.1966) bor i Tromsø, og er regissør, skuespiller og dramatiker. Han har jobbet som skuespiller ved blant annet Totalteatret, Nordland teater, Riksteatret og Hålogaland teater. Av filmer han har hatt regi på, er Svidd neger (2003) og Iskaldt (2008) de mest kjente. Som dramatiker har han blant annet stått bak Svartbak og Penisdialogene.

Klaus Løkholm Bergli

Klaus Løkholm Bergli er 31 1/2 år, og er utdannet skuespiller ved "The Commedia School", der hovedfokuset var på maske, mime og klovn. Mer informasjon om skolen her: www.commediaschool.com.

Klaus har jobbet som frilansskuespiller siden 2003, blant annet sammen med Ferske Scener, Hålogaland Teater, Nordland Teater og Uendelig Teater.

Pernille Dahl Johnsen

Profesjonell skuespiller og instruktør, utdannet ved The Lee Strasberg Theatre Institute i Los Angeles, California, 1992-95. Sammen med Maja Bohne Johnsen driver hun teaterensemblet Salongteatret med basis i Tromsø. Hun har hatt roller i diverse film-, TV- og teaterproduksjoner i Norge de siste 12 årene. De siste to årene har hun blant annet hatt roller ved Festspillene i Bergen, i en turné for Rikskonsertene og i FERSKE SCENERS produksjon av teaterstykket Strømmer skrevet av Tale Næss, satt opp i Tromsø og Oslo.

Amy Stephenson, Australia

After growing up in Tasmania and completing a Bachelor Degree in Performance Studies in Brisbane, Australia, I am now living in Tromsø to experience the Norwegian theatre culture.

During my degree I studied a variety of theatre styles and forms including: process drama, forum theatre, physical theatre, collaboration and performance-based theatre as opposed to ‘traditional’ theatre.

We were given the opportunity to experiment with our own self-devised works, many of which became public performances. My degree was not about learning how to be a Stanislavski-method actor, it rather concentrated on the role of theatre and education within society. I explored questions such as, how can drama be used as social action or community cultural development?

Now that I have finished this degree I am working as a director, teacher and performer. Tromsø is a very cultural city and I find the general attitude towards the creative industries very refreshing, especially compared to Australia where often the arts aren’t valued as an important aspect of society.

Due to my training, my method of teaching drama is based around physical theatre. When working with Teater Aksen I intend to use Anne Bogart and Tina Landau’s 9 Viewpoints of body and space to teach ways of training optimal use of the body. This technique was devised and adapted during the 60’s and 70’s and emphasises a collaborative rather than hierarchical way of working. Viewpoints encourages ‘actors to function together spontaneously and intuitively and to generate bold, theatrical work.’

Falk Rößler

Making theatre in all kind of ways started when I was 15 years old. I took drama lessons and began to act and direct. This trace I followed until now. In the last years I played several roles in theatre plays (such as Estragon in Beckett’s “Waiting for Godot” or Jupiter in Sartre’s “The Flies”) and shifted more and more to directing (for example Beckett’s “Endgame” or Arrabal’s “Picnic on the Battlefield”). I also started to lead theatre workshops and courses in which I try to give the participants a basic feeling about their body in a theatrical space. In those courses I also want to make aware of the numerous possibilities for creating theatre works. This semester I led my first theatre theory seminar at the University in Potsdam.
In addition I opened the “Theatre Late Night” with a friend, where we connected theatre, show and research in an entertaining way. Our last project was the self-made play “zugeteilt” (“allocated”) which we wrote, acted and directed.
I study media science in Potsdam, Germany.

Jill Forrest

Firstly, a huge thank you to everyone for helping to make my new life in Tromsø a thoroughly enjoyable experience! I am pleased to announce the birth of our first child, Heidi Ane Forrest, who was born on the 1st August 2005. Matthew and I are enjoying being new parents and although we are both tired and learning new things every day, it is an experience I will always treasure!

My name is Jill Forrest and I am the instructor for Teater Aksen. I am an english theatre specialist, trained in physical, social and children's theatre. I graduated from London's Central School of Speech & Drama in 1996 with a bachelor degree in Drama, Education, Culture & Society. I then continued my studies at Liverpool University where I obtained a post-graduate diploma in Scriptwriting and Scriptediting. I also have an award in Stanislavski Method Acting, although my work leans towards a more abstract style of actor training.

In the Uk I have worked amongst professional and amateur theatres, historical organisations and ran my own successful theatre workshop. In Tromsø I also work with a variety of organisations, including Tromsø Barne og Ungdomsteater, 'Den Kulturelle Skolesekken', through Tromsdalen Kulturhus and run various specialist workshops at Rådstua Teaterhus and elsewhere.

Teater Aksen are by far the most professional amateur theatre group I have had the pleasure of working with, indeed, I am often guilty of forgetting they are an amateur group! The troop has a vast amount of talent and commitment.

We worked very physically during our first season, firstly as many of the members were new and secondly, in preparation for a highly paced farcical play. 'What the Butler Saw' was my choice of play and we decided to perform it in norwegian. It was a strange developmental process - originally we obtained the scripts in norwegian but due to the growing cast, I decided to re-write the play, increasing the cast form 6 to over 16. My norwegian being basic, the re-write was in english and the group proceeded to work with the english script, translating it back into norwegian on stage - a credit to them all! This highlights the dedication amongst Teater Aksen to make a play the likes of which Tromsø has never seen!

In January 2006, we perfomed a highly successul production of Lorca's Blood Wedding, again to a sell out audience.

This spring we presented cafe theatre across the city of Tromsø.

Next season's project is another new adventure for us and I hope we will be able to tour to other cities with it - we always like a challenge! We are taking a journey to explore the difference between primal and socially accepted behaviour and begin our journey by looking at 'Animal Farm' - a poignant study of human behaviour.

Each project with Aksen is a serious step outside the expected for us all. I believe theatre should always evolve and that why this theatre group will never stand still!

Jill Forrest