We sat down for an exclusive interview with Norwegian theatre-maker, filmmaker and performer Karen Houge ahead of her upcoming Soho Theatre run of DREAMGIRL, her latest show exploring connection, community and how we relate to strangers. After a decade creating work internationally, including in Pakistan, India and Palestine, Houge developed DREAMGIRL after abandoning a successful burlesque clown show and rethinking what she wanted to do with an audience’s attention, drawing in part on her experiences travelling to Lesvos during the 2015 refugee crisis.
This show runs at Soho Theatre from 6-11th July – Tickets here
The show began from such a powerful question: “If I have the attention of a group of strangers for one hour, what do I use that hour on?” Do you remember the moment that question really landed for you?
So in addition to that I’m an actor, I also write movies. At the end of 2024, I did a workshop for scriptwriters, and they asked us to write a 6 page document named “Why do I write.” Through this exercise, I really came back to the core of what I want to say as a storyteller, and I also got to reflect a lot about that during a live performance, you actually have the attention 100% to the audience, compare to a movie or TV, where people also are on their phones or speaking with someone at the same time.
What do you think live performance can do in response to conflict and displacement that film or journalism cannot?
I think its important to have shared experiences, and the feeling of connection and community between the audience is very important. In this time, we all live in different bubbles, with different realities. And as a performer, I can actually see how my material is landing – and that’s a huge difference from a movie.
You trained at École Philippe Gaulier, which has such a strong tradition of clowning and play. How did that experience shape you as a performer?
Would say that Philippe made me free. He pushed us a lot to use our voice on stage to speak our truth. To explore and to be bad. And by being bad, you can explore so much. If you want to be good, its fast to just copy someone else that had success – or copy your own success.
The show has toured across Norway, the UK, Pakistan and India. Have audiences responded differently in different places?
Its been interesting to hear how the different nationalities pick out different characters or stories from the show, and connect it with their world. The show is based on my own lives life, but I have heard some Americans say “Its about USA and the way Donald Trumps speaks about others”, and in Pakistan, one guy from the slum area in Karachi came up and said “Thank you for representing me in your show.” And he focused on other characters in the show than the guy from USA.
Terms of response, it’s been surprisingly similar. Maybe a bit more engagement in India and Pakistan, actually. People stay after the show to speak with me and with each other. That is lovely.
For someone who might feel nervous about audience participation, what would you want them to know before coming to the show?
I am looking at us as a team. I won’t make fun of the audience, but I might ask you to take some active stands to dilemmas that you are lucky enough not to have to answer normally. It’s an opportunity to get some new perspectives.
If DREAMGIRL could leave audiences with one question, what would you want that question to be?
I want the audience to pick out what’s relevant to them and in their lives. Personally, I want people to be more curious about strangers. Ideally, look at strangers as possible future friends. But if that’s something they will leave with, I don’t know. I shall ask them! hehe