THREADS – Gudrid the World Traveller

An immersive, interactive theatrical journey through the Viking Age, combining physical theatre, music and technology. Audiences actively participate in Gudrid’s extraordinary adventures, solving historical mysteries while exploring migration, cultural encounters and contemporary questions of belonging.

THREADS is an immersive adventure inspired by the extraordinary journeys of Viking Age traveller Gudrid Thorbjarnardóttir. Combining physical theatre, music, interactive storytelling and technology, the production takes audiences on a guided journey through historical locations, where they become active participants in a mystery unfolding across a series of theatrical scenes. The experience connects Viking Age history with contemporary questions of migration, cultural identity and coexistence.

Around the year 1000, Gudrid Thorbjarnardóttir travelled between Iceland, Greenland, North America and continental Europe, crossing dangerous seas and encountering unfamiliar cultures. Her remarkable life forms the foundation of THREADS, a theatrical exploration of adventure, courage, love, loss and the search for belonging.

THREADS is structured as a guided, interactive walking performance. Rather than taking place on a conventional stage, the production unfolds at several locations within a historical site. Each location becomes the setting for an episode in Gudrid's life, combining live performance with audience participation, soundscapes and historical clues. The spectators move together from one scene to the next, following a continuous narrative.

The journey begins with the sound of a horn. Orm, a humorous and mysterious character from the Viking Age, gathers the audience and introduces a historical mystery: the identity of an extraordinary traveller. Participants are divided into teams, assigned roles as captains and crew members, and equipped with maps, runic keys and clues. Their task is to collect information throughout the journey and gradually solve the mystery.

As the audience moves between locations, the story unfolds through a sequence of theatrical encounters and collective activities. A large sail suddenly appears, the wind rises, and participants find themselves holding ropes as sailors aboard a Viking ship caught in a violent storm. At another stop, medieval music welcomes them to a wedding ceremony, where an audience member becomes the groom and everyone joins a communal dance.

Elsewhere, participants search for a mysterious object containing recorded voices and fragments of Gudrid's story. A stylised confrontation evokes the encounter between Norse settlers and the Indigenous inhabitants of Vinland. Later, sacred music and a solemn ceremony mark Gudrid's pilgrimage to Rome.

Between these episodes, the audience works together to decipher runes, interpret events and complete a map of Gudrid's travels. Each scene provides new information, gradually revealing the identity of the mysterious woman. The journey concludes when the collected clues are brought together and the historical mystery is solved.

Drawing on Studium Actoris' experience in physical and visual theatre, THREADS combines choreographed movement, humour, music and imaginative scenic transformations. Interactive sound technology developed in collaboration with Netron contributes to the atmosphere and connects the different locations.

Beyond its historical narrative, the production addresses questions that remain relevant today. Gudrid's journeys and encounters with unfamiliar cultures invite reflection on migration, cultural differences, conflict and the search for belonging.

Primarily designed for children aged 9–11, THREADS encourages curiosity, cooperation and historical understanding through direct experience. Its flexible, site-specific format allows it to be adapted to museums, heritage sites and other historical environments.

THREADS transforms a historical site into a living theatrical landscape, where audiences become explorers, witnesses and participants in a journey connecting the Viking Age with the world of today.

THREADS – Gudrid the World Traveller: Production Credits:

Produced by: Studium Actoris
Original Concept and Script: Jannicke Stensnes, Paolo Martini and Morten Marius Apenes
Artistic Development and Dramaturgy: Jannicke Stensnes and Paolo Martini (Studium Actoris)
Physical Theatre and Performance Development: Studium Actoris
Interactive Technology and Technical Development: Morten Marius Apenes (Netron)
Performers: Jannicke Stensnes and Paolo Martini
Production Management: Studium Actoris
Concept Development: Netron, with financial support from Jubileumstaffetten 2030
Touring Production: Presented through Den kulturelle skolesekken (DKS) in Sarpsborg, in collaboration with DKS Sarpsborg, Sarpsborg School of Music and Performing Arts (Sarpsborg kulturskole), and Borgarsyssel Museum, Sarpsborg.

Production Purpose:

THREADS aims to bring Viking Age history to life through an innovative combination of physical theatre, interactive storytelling, historical exploration and digital technology.

By transforming historical sites into immersive theatrical environments, the production encourages participants to engage actively with the past rather than simply observe it.

Through the extraordinary journeys of Gudrid Thorbjarnardóttir, the project explores themes of courage, migration, cultural encounters, identity and belonging, while fostering curiosity, cooperation, creative thinking and historical awareness.

A central objective is to demonstrate how performing arts, cultural heritage and technology can work together to create engaging educational experiences.

Target Audience:

THREADS is primarily designed for primary school pupils, particularly children aged 9–11 (Years 4–5), and is suitable for presentation through school cultural programmes such as Norway's Cultural Rucksack (DKS).

The production's interactive structure encourages pupils to participate through role-playing, movement, teamwork, interpreting historical clues and solving mysteries.

Its visual storytelling and participatory approach also make it suitable for families and intergenerational audiences visiting museums, historical sites and cultural heritage institutions.

The production can be adapted to different historical environments and educational contexts, offering opportunities for collaboration between performing arts organisations, schools and museums.