Three characters, the first man, the second man and the woman, alternately meet each other on a pier. The two men don’t remember whether they know each other, whether they met, if they met before or not. Then a woman arrives on the pier. The woman recognises the first man. It has been a long time since they have seen each other. She doesn’t know where she is. She wants to go swimming. She wants to talk about the children. His children. How are they doing, he wants to know. 

Jon Fosse is a returning author at STAN. Together with Discordia, we present Warm as the final part in the triptych around Jon Fosse,  after I Am the Wind (2018) and Rambuku (2021).

We keep turning to Jon Fosse because of his very unique and new type of language, one that seems to consist of few and simple words, of short sentences and repetitions, with characters stripped of psychology. Fosse shows that literature and art can simultaneously be a great comfort and a great sorrow.

Warm describes two men and one woman.
Nameless.
Who are they?
We
Them
Maybe actors
Maybe

They do not know who they were, where they were, how they were or what they were, now that they have arrived at the place they cannot leave, which is the stage.

About Jon Fosse

Jon Fosse (born 1969) is a Norwegian writer of poetry, children’s books and over 30 plays. His oeuvre has been performed all over the world, in 40 different languages, accounting for more than 900 performances in total. His last work, Septology, was even tipped for the Nobel Prize. 

Typical stylistic features are minimal dramatic developments, an austere type of language and many pauses. He provides delay, depth, simplicity, stillness, internalisation, mysticism, existentialism – crystal clear like the water in the fjords. Fosse’s highly pared-down vocabulary, his sense of rhythm and many repetitions create an enigmatic atmosphere that leaves plenty of room for associations. 

THE FIRST MAN

Yes it was summer

and yes

THE SECOND MAN

And then came

THE FIRST MAN

Someone came

THE SECOND MAN

She came

THE FIRST MAN

Who are you talking about

THE SECOND MAN

About her

And she

Yes she wore

Yes

Yes a black bathing suit