Forestillinger

Per Fly's Performances is not only another fantastic made Danish mini series, but it also plays with the concept of what a series can be. In this story, we follow a theatre group during 6 weeks, a common preparation time for a play. There are 6 different leading characters, 6 episodes, and each of the episodes has its own protagonist. The story is told 6 times, each time from one of the other characters perspective. As you watch through the series, the motives for different peoples actions unfold, and we understand the complexity of the conflicts that occur.
　　Performances is about love - not only love for a partner but also for a daughter, a father or a friend. It revolves around Marko, the charismatic stage director who revolutionized Danish theatre in the 1990s. The story takes place during the rehearsals of his adaption for the stage of Venus and Adonis by William Shakespeare.
　　The unifying plot does not only attempt to reveal a kind of truth about Marko but very much focuses on the influence Marko has and has had on each of the people closest to him. They have already been vitally affected by him - without him they would not be who they are today wheather he created them or destroyed them. Performances is about human encounters and how the affect our lives. What shapes us? Why do we love? And why do we betray?
　　Performances is Per Fly's first complete television series and he has allied himself with some of the creative talents who contributed to his hugely successful award-winning film trilogy, B?nken (2000) aka The Bench, Arven (2003) aka The Inheritance, and Drabet (2005) aka Manslaughter. He directed each episode and the series was written by Lars Kjeldgaard and designed by S?ren Gam. The music was written by Halfdan E. Performances was produced by Zentropa Entertainments20 (Executive Producer Ib Tardani) for DR in co-operation with DR TV Drama. The concept of the series was developed together with Lars von Trier.
　　The first episode follows the 31 years old Jakob, who has just ended his marrige. He arrives at the theatre, where he is a new actor in an established team. The intense working environment and the relation to the female lead affects him. Is the director plotting against him? And are the rehersals all a part of a kafkaesque play?