AFGANG 04.00 (DEPARTURE 04.00)

AFGANG 04.00 (DEPARTURE 4.00)

A deportation of completely ordinary people from a completely ordinary trainstation in Denmark, oktober 1943

The 12th of October 1943, in the evening, 175 men, women and children with Danish-Jewish background was brought to Helsingør station from the Horserødcamp.

These were people who hadn’t been successful in escaping to Sweden, earlier that month, when Sweden had opened its borders for fugitive Danish Jews. Instead, they were apprehended by the German occupational force. On the station in Helsingør, they were locked in the 2nd class waiting-room, by the Danish station personnel. Here they were situated for a long time, until a special train arrived, commissioned by DSB, to transport them the first part of the way to Theresienstadt KZ-camp.

Afgang 04.00 was based on this rather unknown historical event, and was performed at the authentic crime-scene, Helsingør Station. The piece combined site-specific elements with advanced 3D sound-technology, music composed, and recorded for the occasion, and text based on authentic documents and testimonies, recorded voices and light/video-concept that followed the rhythm of the music and voices.

The result was intense and intimate before an audience of 35. A compressed prosses, that marked the night between 12th and 13th of October explored the questions: How do one relate to an uncertain fate? What thoughts runs through a human mind, on a night like this? Which situations, memories, dreams and connections come to the fore? How do humans act and react in moments and hours, where they have nothing to say, regarding of their fate?

The deportation from Helsingør station had severe impact on the lives of the involved. AFGANG 04.00 was about the vulnerability then, but depicted emotions, experiences and thoughts, that made a bridge to the present vulnerability.

AFGANG 04.00 presented artists from, Denmark, Sweden, Croatia, Slovenia and Germany.


Credit list:

Idea, textual fragments & Direction: Petra Berg Holbek

Music & Sound-composition: Juliana Hodkinson

Space, video & light: Igor Vasiljev

Dramaturg: Amelia Kraigher

Voices: Lisbeth Sonne Andersen, Henrik Birch, Hans Henrik Clemensen, Marie-Louise Coninck, Evelyn Verge Elnegaard, Kristian Halken, Lene Kreilgaard, Johannes Lilleøre, Thomas Magnussen, Christina Meincke, Merete Nørgaard, Anja Owe, Benjamin Boe Rasmussen, Ina-Miriam Rosenbaum, Judith Rothenborg, Dan Schlosser & Michael Lundbye Slepsager

Musicians:

Andreas Borregaard, accordion

Solistensemble Phønix16:

Timo Kreuser, conductor

Sirje Viise, soprano

Meredith Nicoll, alto

Magnús Hallur Jónsson, tenor

Jonathan Boudevin, bass

Binaural sound consultant, sparring, recording-technic (DK) & corridor-composition: Kristian Hverring

Recording of prologue and epilogue (DK): Dan Schlosser

Binaural music-recording, mix & mastering (DE): picaroMEDIA in corporation with TU Berlin & UdK Berlin:

Peter Weinsheimer, Recording-technician 

Felicitas Fiedler, binaural recording

Christoph Binner, Recording-technician 

Kirstine Elisa Kjeldsen, Recording-assistant 

Light Consultant: Sonja Lea

Photo: Igor Vasiljev

Produced by ABER DABEI in collaboration Helsingør Teater

Premiered: 2th. of November 2017, Helsingør Station 

Supported by: Statens Kunstfonds Projektstøtteudvalg for Scenekunst, Bikubenfonden, Wilhelm Hansen Fonden, Knud Højgaards Fond, Dansk Komponist Forenings Produktionspulje, KODAs Kulturelle Midler & Koda-Dramatik