The set-up of the play was simple. The entire stage was more or less empty with only a big, green garbage cart and the solo performer, Malte Frid-Nielsen.
It helped to sharpen the audience’s focus. Every single sound and every single movement felt magnified, gripping our full attention.
Directed by Jeremy Thomas-Poulsen and produced by Down the Rabbit Hole, ‘The Urban Hunt’ provided unique insights into life, death and the city.
Magical mystery tour
The lighting, background music and simple setting synergised well with one another as the Frid-Nielsen shared the minutiae of daily life that we seldom think of.
We then joined Frid-Nielsen on a magical hunting expedition in the city of Copenhagen. Not only did we need to have a strong mentality, he told us, but also to pass many tests.
His vivid mimicry of different animals and masterful interpretations of different characters kept us entertained, but we were also asked to think about our own lives, and whether we’re prepared to kill to eat the meat on our plate.
Life feeds on death and food connects death, he told us. No single creature on this planet can avoid death. Just as those lives disappear on a daily basis to provide us with a source of food, our loved ones will die some day too. After all, it comes down to our decisions and we must take the responsibility for the killing.
Laughter and soul-searching
Partly thanks to the highly interactive nature of the play, and also the seamless transitions between themes and scenes, the 90-minute playing time zips by.
The play delivered an evening of laughter and soul-searching. Immersing the audience in a magical world, it asked the audience to reflect on their lives, the city in which they live and their interaction with their loved ones.
