Alice Millington reviews Vinland at Wolverhampton Arena
Jack Dean & Company is a disabled-led,
non-profit that strives to produce shows exploring stories that wander between
history and myth, aiming to explore the world as it could be. With this in mind,
their new production Vinland seems a valiant conquest of epic proportion.
The show follows the lesser-known tale of the Viking’s final expedition to North America, in line with Dean’s desire to uncover hidden tales of the past. With a focus on the young Snorri, the audience watches on as the Viking group explore the new land, with the local population and ancient spirits proving unexpected company. Snorri embarks on a journey of establishing his independence and strength in an environment that continually dismisses and undermines him for his youthfulness, whilst also navigating the ground-shaking discovery of an integral part of his identity. Battling his way through feelings of hurt, fear and disorientation, Snorri prevails valiantly to destroy the lesser-known, ancient ‘Thingy’ and prove himself a Viking with as brave and true a heart as any. It is a tale of how self-belief and resilience can triumph even in moments of what feels like unrelenting adversity, a message that transcends time and registers just as poignantly for a modern audience.
Aside from the optimism of the story, what is
equally impressive about this production is its use of staging, sound and script
to convey the gripping plot. Dean emphasizes the nature of the production as a
‘story-telling show’, and upon watching, this proves to be a very apt term. The
show is framed by a narrator whose alliterative lyrical spiel propels the plot
along, as well as a live musical performance that uses instrumental and voice
effects to establish atmospheres that befit every shift in setting and mood. The
two onstage actors use shifting accents and tones to represent a continuously
expanding collection of characters that could otherwise be portrayed by a cast
of tens or hundreds. They serve as vessels to bring countless complex experiences
to life, which is enhanced by detailed illustrations that pay homage to the
traditional Viking art styles. This results in an effectively constructed
performance wherein the audience can distinguish and develop nuanced relationships
of engagement with each individual character.
The visually exciting animations are used for
more than just the characters as they are also projected onto the backdrop and
other props to add a further element to the story-telling method. Settings and
surroundings shift before the audience’s very eyes, with a single stepladder
transforming from the helm of a Viking boat over choppy waters, to a campfire crackling
atmospherically in the night, and even the udders of a cow that Snorri is
tasked to milk. With only a few clever spatial shifts and the projection of
these animations, the staging of the show is just as exciting and engaging as
it is practical and smart, allowing the company to brilliantly capture the
story-telling tradition that facilitated these epic tales to be passed on and
preserved centuries later.
Dean expresses a fascination for this and the
way in which history and myth become intertwined over time. This can be traced
in the depiction of the land’s native population, traditionally referred to as the
Skraeling by the Norse Vikings. Dean himself looks to depict the ‘terrifying
and dominant force’ of the Vikings in a ‘new light’ that ‘says something
unexpectedly powerful about the hubris of colonialism’. This materializes
effectively as the audience sees a relationship unfold between the two groups,
initiated when Snorri develops a kinship with a young Skraeling boy. In this
sense, the production challenges traditional colonial narratives that champion
dominance and conflict, and instead leaves audience members with a powerful meditation
on the importance of solidarity and human connection.
Ultimately, Vinland is exactly the ‘cinematic’ experience that Dean describes it to be, with a continual integrity to the Viking tradition of storytelling and an uplifting message of bravery and cooperation. It is interesting, engaging and epic for an audience of any age – a production to be proud of.
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