This review of the Palsgaard production is from Clarissa. Her command of Danish is not total, but I think she did a great job. :-) Thank you so much for sharing it with us!

The stage looked great! No idea what the pillars and all that were made of; there were Greek statues of the same material on top and also one of these cloth things that are filled from below with air so that they flicker like a flame. This one was to symbolize the flame of Atlas, as I learned during the show. It went out with the end of the first act. They also had a small pool on the stage with a gargoyle fish! The orchestra was sitting to the right, but integrated in the stage deco. In front of it all, of course, were the seats (1000!). To the left side there was a small lake and a building that must have been a stable or something, but now functioned as dressing room for the actors.

Ookay - the first act started like on the CDs with the sirens' song. Here it was a recording; the sirens obviously had to concentrate too hard on their dancing. ;) Then the seamen and the soldiers - they had one strophe more than in the recording -, the captain, the pact - all as usual. Next was the throne room. Atlas on his throne, Miranda (his lover, not Adalena's lady-in-waiting, in fact) at his side. Koptos asks what will become of Atlantis and is scolded by his high priest, but Atlas allows Koptos to consult the visionary Livilla. She falls in a trance and sees two men, one pure-hearted, the other dark - more I didn't understand, only that Atlas would die, that he would be murdered. Everyone is horrified. The matter of succession is discussed. I could be very mistaken here, but I think Miranda says she could still bear Atlas an heir. The high priest flares up; after all, she is only a concubine. He then suggests the young Sceptor as husband for Adalena, and when she enters, she gets told by Atlas what has been decided. She protests, he says it has to be for the sake of Atlantis. She runs away and visits the city in disguise.

The marketplace. A fruit seller mockingly imitates dancing girls, who as revenge almost turn over her cart. Adalena takes a look at the stalls. Children play ball; Silvan, passing by, gets hold of it and let them chase for it. He and Adalena run into another, look at each other indignantly and go their ways. Silvan steals an apple from the furious fruit seller. Suddenly someone calls he is seeing a ship. Everyone waits eagerly, then he calls: "It's Jabbadoor!" Everyone cheers and runs to the harbour. Silvan is about to follow them but is told off by his boss. So he stays behind and sings his "Alle andre steder". Adalena meets three male prostitutes who flirt very sweetly with her. This is one of the funniest scenes! The melody is just funny, and they dance around her, make sheep's eyes at her, and they wear these ridiculous short tunics, underneath which you can see, when the lift them at one point, golden underwear... Everyone was just shaking with laughter! But of course this is just a light version of what follows, "Voldt�gten".

Silvan tells Jabbadoor that his father was a warrior, but has to confess he never knew him. Jabbadoor - I'm not sure there - either grants him a favour or tells him he might need his services again. Silvan and Adalena agree to meet the next day in the peach grove. Silvan, happy - he just met the girl of his dreams! - and proud like anything - the mighty army leader spoke to him! - runs home and tells his mother what happened. He then asks her how she met his father. "Fra f�rste sekund".

The audience. The priests demand that Jabbadoor renounces his false faith, else Poseidon's wrath would fall upon Atlantis. He refuses very rudely. Atlas enters, Jabbadoor presents him rich gifts won in the campaign, among them three oriental dancers. Then he begins to talk about Atlas having no heir, saying the people love him (Jabbadoor) and would respect him as their next king. Atlas is clearly uncomfortable (he knows about Kelvin's murder, after all). He tells Jabbadoor they have known each other for a long time, but it couldn't happen, because he is of no noble blood. He also tells him about Adalena and Sceptor. He then leaves; Miranda approaches Jabbadoor, telling him Adalena would like to talk to him. He takes a sharp look at her and asks if they met before, as she reminds him of a girl he once knew. Her answer is evasive, and she leaves. Adalena enters, Jabbadoor talks to her about the evening before, saying she was a child when he left and was now a woman. You can see things starting here, for he is clearly attracted to her, and later at the funeral (2. act) he can hardly take his eyes off her. Adalena asks him to talk to her father about her and Silvan, but he has to refuse because he isn't exactly in Atlas' favour at the moment. She leaves, he orders Zan-Zan to kill Atlas, for as the court jester no one would be suspicious of him. Zan-Zan isn't too pleased about it.

The peach grove. Silvan and Adalena have a picnic. He offers her grapes, and she says they must have been quite expensive. "I know a fruit seller..." :) But then she tells him who she really is. "De sorte skyer".

Silvan goes to the tavern and drowns his sorrows. Zan-Zan, doing likewise, meets him. "Hold dig til helte". Nice scene here: Four pseudo-Cancan dancers with "Zan-Zan" written on their pants...

In the palace: Adalena tells Miranda of Silvan. "Den feber kaldes k�rlighed". After that scene earlier I believe Miranda's old love to have been Jabbadoor, though it isn't explicitly said. Atlas overhears them, sends Miranda away and argues with Adalena, ending with her running from the room, yelling "I hate you!" "Atlas' elegi".

"Frk. Consida" - nice here the way Zan-Zan throws in casually: "Han er s�n af Kelvin."

The great celebration. "Hil Atlantis"; a GREAT scene. The whole choir on the stairs, Atlas and Miranda on the throne pedestal in the back, and Jabbadoor in front.

"Rrokenka". Silvan gets caught by the high priest when he kisses Adalena and is brought before Atlas. Adalena and Miranda try to speak for him, but Atlas has him thrown into the dungeon. Scene of Atlas and Miranda going to bed.

Jabbadoor and Zan-Zan visit Silvan, talk him into murdering Atlas and give him a dagger ("The dagger of righteousness") and Adalena's necklace which Zan-Zan got somehow. Perhaps this is the director's decision, because Adalena was supposed to have given it to Silvan at the peach grove, does she not? "Mordet p� Atlas", "Flugten".

The second act started with a procession. The entire ensemble went from the back of the audience down to the lake and then onto the stage, carrying torches and the prop that was supposed to be Atlas' body (he seemed to have shrunk). There is was burned - not really, of course. Then the priests warn again. "Guderne har forbudt det". The priests decide to flee. The high priest name Koptos their leader, because he himself would stay behind - the reason I didn't understand. But it's only a pretence, for he at once converts to the new faith. Soldiers are dispatched to find the other priests. Livilla warns again, this time Jabbadoor and Adalena. Jabbadoor doesn't like it at all, so he has her leave the palace. Salene is brought before him, but she refuses to give away Silvan's hideout. There is also a beautiful small scene in which Miranda offers herself to Jabbadoor. He cannot accept, but he names her high priestess instead.

Umm... funny enough, there follows "Adalena forf�res" (="Adalena is seduced"). She is sad and lonely and has to think of Silvan as the murderer of her father. Jabbadoor convinces her that Silvan's supposed love was only a trick, he himself offering her strength and protection. Followed by one of the audience's nice Murmur Scenes, meaning there was this shifting and low talk, because they really showed... something on stage. Not all of it, of course (there were children and old people present... ;) ), but they got to a point where they really took off a lot of each other's clothes and went to bed together. I think I like the Scandinavians, hehe! You wouldn't have found that on the Broadway...

With the sleeping couple still in the background, Silvan steps forth and sings "Adalena". Back to the palace. Jabbadoor is awakened by distant thunder. "B�n til Ba'al Zebub". Adalena awakes and feels strangely dirty. She can still feel Jabbadoor's touches, and it's not a good feeling at all. So she goes to Salene's prison. Salene at first thinks her a spy of Jabbadoor, but then she learns of Adalenas true identity and tells her of Silvan's last words. Enter Miranda to the "Kvinde-terzet". Miranda leaves, Adalena and Salene have another short talk, then "Hvis der er en hersker".

The temple of the moon and "Morgen p� Atlantis". The priests find Silvan and accuse him of being a traitor and kingslayer, but he simply keeps repeating that he is innocent. At last Koptos listens, but when he learns that Silvan plans to slay Jabbadoor he takes Kelvin's sword - which Salene gave Silvan -, saying Poseidon would never tolerate bloodshed, and Silvan would have to prove himself without the sword. At this moment three of Jabbadoor's soldiers find them. Silvan grasps for the sword, Koptos draws back. Fortunately, when things look really bad, he changes his mind and tosses Silvan the sword (nice stunt!), while the priests defend themselves with their staffs. At the end, only Silvan, Koptos and a soldier are alive. Silvan and Koptos disguise themselves as soldiers and return to the city. The soldier awakes from Koptos' K.O. hit, sees his comrades dead and gets desperate at how he is going to explain it. He finds Adalena's necklace that Silvan lost in the fight and goes back to report. Jabbadoor is not pleased and orders him to be tossed into the dungeon, while Zan-Zan takes the necklace and goes to Adalena, who is looking for Jabbadoor - very furiously. Zan-Zan mocks her; she yells at him that Silvan will free her. He shows her the necklace, tells her Silvan was slain in the battle and that she will marry Jabbadoor. She returns to Salene, who has been beaten and tortured so badly she dies in Adalena's arms. "Vi er blinde".

Next: Gruesome and another Murmur Scene! The people have gathered to a service to Ba'al Zebub, cumulating in the sacrifice of a young girl. The high priest announces the upcoming marriage of Jabbadoor and Adalena. "Hold p� Jabbadoor". Livilla turns up and fortells Atlantis will sink beneath the waves. Zan-Zan orders her (I think) to be thrown into the dungeons (everyone seems to visit them sooner or later...), however I could be wrong or it's another director's decision, because after that he rapes her at the now beginning orgy. Silvan and Koptos choose just that time to return in their soldier disguise; they step between all these writhing bodies, looking slightly shocked... :)

The wedding. Everything is made ready. Miranda pours poison into the wedding cup, saying that Adalena would never again come between her and Jabbadoor. One wonders if she doesn't think about that Jabbadoor will drink, too? Or perhaps it's a very fast-acting poison, as seen later. The happy couple (both in black) walk towards each other. Adalena is veiled (also black); Jabbadoor lifts the veil; they go to the altar, while the choir sing dark hymns to Ba'al Zebub. When Adalena is about to drink, Silvan springs forth and saves her, accusing Miranda of attempted murder. She denies that there's poison in the cup, so he says she should drink from it, and with that he spills the contents of the cup into her face. She screams and dies, something nobody quite realizes because Silvan pulls off his helmet and reveals himself. He and Jabbadoor duel. At first it is Jabbadoor who has the upper hand, but when he taunts Silvan with Salene, that changes. Jabbadoor looses his sword, and I think this is the point where Koptos originally takes away Kelvin's sword. In this production - more realistic in my mind - Jabbadoor gets hold of his weapon again at the last moment and is about to finish Silvan off, when Adalena orders him to stop, because otherwise she would kill herself. Jabbadoor begins to plead with her, tells her to think about the child; it was innocent and helpless, she couldn't do this. Then Silvan springs up, takes the dagger she is holding and says that *he* could. So Jabbadoor lets them go, but vows he would find Adalena again.

On the sea. Silvan and Adalena are in a boat. The ghost of Atlas appears on the waves, lamenting it was all his fault.

Back on Atlantis. "Epilog". At the end, when they all drown horribly ;) , there went off a huge column of water in front of the stage.

It was great! I really loved it! The actors were of course all amateurs, but they put their hearts in it. Rune M�ller as Silvan was just great. His "Alle andre steder" got big applause - only topped by "Hil Atlantis", which was in my opinion not nearly sung as good. The women - Charlotte H. Larsen (Adalena - really sweet), Christina �berg (Miranda), Karin Misser (Salene) and Sanne Mikkelsen (Livilla) - I liked as well. Peer A. �degaard (Atlas) was okay, but the two bad guys were a bit overdone. That's always the problem; I think it's difficult playing a villain because you can easily overdo it, and then it's simply ridiculous. Rasmus Bak (Jabbadoor) was good at the... let's call it the quieter scenes. The audience, his two scenes with Miranda, "Adalena forf�res" and the final confrontation with Adalena, when she threatens to kill herself and the child - wow! His "Adalena! Jeg finder dig!" (="I will find you!") really went under the skin, though of course I was thinking: "No, you won't..." Anyway, Ulrik Andersen (Zan-Zan) went over the top. I see Zan-Zan more as an opportunist than as the "real" villain as he was portrayed here. But my absolute favorite was Hans Nielsen as Koptos! Wow!! Don't know if he's a trained singer or simply a natural, but I liked his "Morgen p� Atlantis" even better than that of Johnny J�rgensen. What a voice! The guys playing the priests were all very good, he having the biggest part, and he was really convincing.