The cancer cell Gloria Glutton (Fråtse-Frida in Norwegian) has built herself a little home in a corner somewhere in the building. She is a demanding resident who never gets enough: she wants more food, more attention and more comfort.From her fortress she turns on the charm and makes passersby contribute to further construction and renovation. When the immune defense releases its soldiers she tricks them to turn around and leave empty-handed. Gloria Glutton is a terribly restless character. If the atmosphere in the neighborhood becomes too hostile she will pick up her bags and leave to seek success elsewhere in the body… Unless a young aspiring researcher comes along. Could that be you?
Henriette plays a cancer cell to explain why and how a cell can change personality and become the disease of cancer. She does so in the role of Gloria Glutton, a very charming lady who unfortunately only cares about herself. The performance is interactive and the audience participate to make medicines against Gloria Glutton. Just like in the laboratory, it goes awry a number of times, but eventually we manage to crack the riddle and get rid of her. Although the subject is serious enough, the story on stage is of the entertaining kind. Gloria Glutton is a real asshole, but with a fair dose of charm she manages to get what she wants. Similar to certain assholes in society, those power figures and heads of state we would do better without.
The performance was a success at the science fair during Forskningsdagene in Bergen 2015. Read the article about CCBIOs stand here.
Background
This show was developed for Forskningsdagene 2015 (Norwegian National research fair) where the topic was food. The story is based around the cancer cell’s inclination to gluttony. A habit that quite a few people in society seem to be struggling with. We are not talking about obesity, but greediness, the need to get ahead at the expense of others. Those who exploit others, use up resources and eventually cause their own downfall. This applies to both cancerous tumours in the body and tumours in society. The show is a synthesis of science and social criticism made into entertainment. The audience is confronted with a heroine who is not at all a heroine, but a real asshole who only thinks about herself. The audience can try out as cancer researchers working intensely to make targeted drugs to attack cancer cells without affecting the entire neighbourhood. It is no easy matter, because Gloria Glutton is inventive and she even tricks the medicine. Not to mention the police cells of the immune system who are severely reprimanded when they try to arrest her. Then it is back to the laboratory again to figure out how to remove Gloria Glutton once and for all. The medicine only works when it initiates a collaboration with the immune system. Even though cancer science is not curriculum in primary school, the performance can be used by teachers, as a reference later when topics of cell biology is reviewed, or during the difficult conversation when someone in the family is affected by cancer.
Audience: Cultural houses, schools and organisations
Age of audience: 5-13 years. Style of acting is adjusted according to age of audience.
Duration : 60 minutes.
Place: Stage or room in school or cultural house. Need 2 hours to rig up, 1 hour to rig down scenography.
Booking dealline: 4 weeks in advance
Language: Norwegian
Contakt: henriette.ertsas@uib.no tlf 97601192
Photo: Per Sakkariassen Illustrasjon, Thor Brødreshift, Randi Holmås Illustration: Gøril Skaale Johansen
