In the dimly lit theatre, the audience is transported into the mysterious world of Castle of Joy a production by Det Ferösche Compagnie, a Faroese theatre company. Directed and written by the multi-talented Búi Dam, with Kristina Sørensen Ougaard leading the cast, this experience is as enigmatic as it is haunting.
Castle of Joy draws inspiration from the life and work of Pól Jóhannus Poulsen, also known as Joy, a figure born in 1925 in a small village in the Faroe Islands – an island off Denmark. The play tells the tale of a child with neuro-diverse tendencies who gets excluded from society due to perceived differences, Joy’s determination to construct a new world that he can identify with despite societal rejection serves as the backdrop for the production. Ougaard narrates and acts out the story standing mainly centre stage and using intense physicality and a face full of expression. Dam comes in at points for added narration or to add to the array of sound effects.
Out of North London's hustle to the aged but beautifully authentic Theatre Royal Stratford East. Set and costume designer; Charlotte Espiner transported us to Stratford East - Gypt; where a giant pharaoh's head in Cleopatra's Palace begins this modernised fairy tale and we are taken along for a ride with glitter and togas, kohl makeup and silicon dresses where each time a new scene begins, our eyes glisten.
Here, the stage is populated with a backdrop projector with a display of a myriad of oddball characters, their faces looming in the backdrop illuminated by four stark spotlights. It is within this stark environment that the tale of a child who doesn't fit in, and the consequential descent into darkness really unfolds. As the production grinds to a halt and Joy returns to his life in Faroe we see the ‘castle of joy’ he builds until his death, hundreds of rooms all made from sustainable materials. The message behind this starts to become philosophical and we contemplate the understanding and interpretation of reality. We ponder questions; Can we each discover solace within the framework of our own mental constructs, no matter how unconventional within society they may appear?
Societal exclusion, neuro-diverse children and the consequences otherness has on someone growing up, Castle of Joy transcends the confines of traditional storytelling, offering audiences a thought-provoking and immersive theatrical experience into the life of a misunderstood child.
Castle of Joy is like going into the mind of someone else’s brain, listening to a story but with a tinge of excitement and intrigue. Inventive staging and a haunting score, it leaves an indelible mark on the hearts and minds of its audience members, inviting them to ponder the shadows that lurk within society and us all. A well-deserved standing ovation.
Through this fearless exploration of the human brain, Det Ferösche Compagnie cements their place for me as pioneers in the world of innovative theatre, leaving us eagerly awaiting their next production.
