The Trigger System is, at its core, a rescue attempt;
where the old – some might even say, mad – scientist who calls himself
‘Captain Noah’ brings his beloved insects on a desperate escape
to save the animals – and himself – from a great flood of crises and wars.
– Tore Vagn Lid, writer, director, and composer
The sender – or “Captain Noah” – is an aging, endangered scientist who has withdrawn into a fantastical universe of fables. Here, he attempts, if at all possible, to save both himself and his animals from the contemporary deluge of wars and crises. As both observer and leader, the Captain guides his chosen insects in a cleverly constructed insect aquarium – a so-called vivarium.
On a sea of drowned people and discarded morals, stick insects, snails, woodlice, and earwigs gradually emerge as both co-actors and antagonists in a philosophical, music-dramatic tragedy – about the human in nature and nature in the human.
Part I of The Trigger System, “Vivariet”, premiered at Black Box teater in autumn 2024. Now comes Part II: “Brunsneglens lange natt” (The Slug’s Long Night). The performance stands on its own and requires no prior knowledge or familiarity with “Vivariet”.
“Triggersystemet del I: ‘Vivariet’” is a disturbing, dizzying, cruelly beautiful, and musical fable about our human ability to walk straight into our own traps – despite all the warning signs. Staged as a “narrative drama,” it confronts us with ourselves and our own downfall.
● Transiteatret-Bergen works in the intersection of theatre and music, developing a contemporary and experimental form of theatre. The company is led by playwright and director Tore Vagn Lid, and consists of a network of key artists and performers across several artistic disciplines. From the outset, the ambition has been to expand the theatre space as a critical space of experience – with a particular emphasis on the musical and music-dramaturgical potential of theatre.
With both the Ibsen Award and several Hedda Awards behind them, Lid and Transiteatret-Bergen have, for over two decades, distinguished themselves with a number of acclaimed productions – including 03:08:38 States of Emergency, which continues to be performed both nationally and internationally, most recently in Berlin in autumn 2024. For this work, Lid received the Hedda Award for “Outstanding Artistic Achievement,” and the company for “Best Audiovisual Design.” With The Trigger System, Lid delves even deeper into the dual role of playwright and composer, and “Vivariet” was nominated for four Hedda Awards in 2025, including “Best Direction” and “Best Play Text.”
Nothing is left to chance as this cornucopia overflows without a single drop wasted. The director’s all-encompassing vision and eye for detail sustain it all with stylish, musical elegance – from the tiniest miniature to the most vertiginous leap of thought.
In collaboration with Ultima Oslo Contemporary Music Festival .
