We Come from Far, Far Away (in Czech)

Inside the tent is a smaller tent, and in that smaller tent sits a young boy. He has come a long way, mostly on his own. He can show what he took with him, explain why he set out on the journey and he can describe where he travelled, but how his story will end, he cannot say.

The performance We Come from Far, Far Away tells a story about two young boys from Aleppo travelling to Norway. Against the backdrop of a journey through Turkey, Greece, Macedonia and onwards to Oslo, they tell stories about people, things and places, but also about life and death. Designed for younger audiences as well as adults, the performance about seeking refuge is performed inside a Mongolian yurt. Through live music, storytelling, clowning, shadow theatre and a small tent, NIE tells a big story from an intimate distance.

The NIE Theatre ensemble created the project We Come from Far, Far Away in cooperation with the Norwegian refugee centre, Hvalstad Transittmottak. It served as the first reception point for young refugees (aged 13-18) who came to Norway without their parents, in hopes of asylum. The refugees they met were mostly from Syria and Afghanistan and had made their journey to Norway alone. The show premiered at the Showbox Festival in Oslo in November 2016. Since then, it has had over 400 performances in venues and schools in Norway, Czech Republic, Sweden, Denmark and the UK as well as festivals in Australia, Ireland, Sweden, Slovenia and Austria.

The performance will be presented in Czech language.

Supported by Arts and Culture Norway, Norwegian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Arts Council England. The project was supported by the EEA and Norway Grants 2014–2021.