The Globetheatre

We have walked in the Andes, in the Sahara desert, into the tropical forests in South East Asia into small villages and megacities – in biting cold areas and unbearable heat. We have met people struggling for survival and disgusting luxury. Meeting the world became theatre performances which toured in Sweden 1970 – 1998. The performance Why is the Earth angry? was produced in cooperation with the Sida (Swedish International Development Authority) and the Swedish UNICEF-committee. We followed up the play in hundreds of classrooms. In one class a 8 year old girl asked: – Do you really believe we have a future? That question became the seed of Globetree. And we who started the GlobeTheatre, Kajsa Dahlström, Sam Samuelsson and Peroy Kirchner are the founders of the Globetree 1982 together with Prof. Ben van Bronckhorst and the GlobeTheatre is from that year one of many branches of the Globetree.

Why is the earth angry?

Why is the Earth angry? is a performance for children 6-9 years.
At the centre of the stage is a large globe and out of the globe puppets from five countries in four continents appear. The Swedish puppet who is named by each audience travels around the world and meet new friends who tell her their secrets, the work they do, their hidings and longing to go to school. A whale pops up in the North Pole and shows the way to The Wise Book – the book with magical tales and myths.
The audience brought masks and instruments to the performance and the end all children join the celebration of everything that is made good by the rhythms of West Indian steel band music. In the set design projections show the puppets in real life – children we met when we walked the world.

We are far far more than two

The performance We are far, far more than the two is for adult audience in connection with the Why is the Earth angry? Drawings, reflections, discussions in classrooms and written letter from children inspired the performance. The exhibition “We see the earth” became part of the performance and before leaving we asked the audience to write their reflections about the play and the messages of Children.

Travel to the virgin forest

The travel to the Virgin forest is an interactive performance for children 4-7 years. All children bring a seed to the play which they personally wrap. They put the seed at the entrance of the Gate of Life which opens with help of the seeds and the journey starts from Prehistoric time to Present time together with the Wise Tree at the centre of the stage. Suddenly the voice from the Wise Tree is drowned in the sound of chainsaws. The Wise tree falls and lies immovable on the ground. The children rush for their seeds and plant them all around the fallen tree while singing: “If seeds grow, trees grow. If trees grow, we grow. The planted seeds and the children’s song wake the Wise Tree to life and all join in the Dance of Hope.

The Scream from the forest

Tree Spirit suddenly is in stand still. The heavy sounds of chainsaws approach and divide her forest into mine and yours.
Tree Spirit is captured as a trophy. At that instant light disappears.

Trädanden blir plötsligt stilla.
Något hotfullt närmar sig som högljutt delar in skogen i mitt och ditt.
Trädanden fångas in och i samma ögonblick släcks allt ljus.

In the darkness the actors speak to the audience.
The Tree Spirit asks:
– Why did you not rescue me?
The audience is stunned.
– Were we allowed to do that?
– Play it again and we save you!

The talk with the children about the courage – the courage to do the right thing and it’s important to support those who dare take the first step.

Globetheatre statistics

Performance	Age	Sum
No borders	Adult	103
To reach the end of the world	Adult	22
Let us travel to...	6-9 years	117
Greatest is love	Adult	4
African stories	Adult	9
Border case	Adult	195
Children in Africa	6-9 years	243
Freedom	Adult	40
Why is the earth angry?	6-9 years	723
We are far more than two	Adult	153
Same from Ghana	4-7 years	237
Travel to the virgin forest	4-7 years	489
The Scream from the forest	10-13 years	235
The 10 symbols of life	Gymnasium and adults	20
With and without mask	12-18 years	39
	Total	2629