On arriving at Trollesund in search of Roger and the other missing children, Lyra meets the massive armoured bear Iorek Byrnison. It is a crucial scene in the first play bringing together two of the stories’ central characters and establishing the strong bond of trust between the young girl and the dangerous but faithful bear.
Here you can see how the scene evolved during the early rehearsals, listen to the views of the actors on the development of their characters and find out why Iorek’s role is central to the story.
The
rehearsal video shows how Anna Maxwell Martin and Danny Sapani developed the scene with Assistant Director Matt Wilde and choreographer Aletta Collins. You can see how the blocking changed during the rehearsal to make the scene both intimate and powerful and how this affected the role of Lyra’s daemon Pantalaimon. Danny Sapani talks about his own interpretation of the beauty of the relationship between
Lyra and Iorek and how he approached
playing an Armoured Bear. Iorek Byrnison is one of several characters in
His Dark Materials who offer safety and protection to Lyra on her quest. These
surrogate parents are a crucial part of Philip Pullman's compelling storyline.