Theatre and Dance

Theatre Institutions

Thu, 11 Jun 2009 08:11:39 GMT

In Norway, theatre is a relatively young art form. The oldest theatre, Den Nationale Scene in Bergen, was established in 1850, while the first national theatre, Nationaltheatret in Oslo, opened its doors nearly 50 years later, in 1899. This may in part be due to the fact that theatre is an urban art, while Norway was – and is – a country of few big cities. Gradually, however, other theatres were established, first in Trondheim and Stavanger, and from the 1970s throughout most of Norway.

Festivals

Thu, 11 Jun 2009 08:17:45 GMT

In 1990 Stein Winge, then director of the National Theatre, established the Ibsen Festival, which is held every other year in August/September. The National Theatre presents its latest Ibsen productions, and also invites the top international stagings of Ibsen’s plays created during the previous two years The Ibsen Festival alternates with the Contemporary Theatre Festival, which presents modern drama through own and guest productions.

Associations & Education

Thu, 11 Jun 2009 08:00:21 GMT

The independent companies

Thu, 11 Jun 2009 08:06:00 GMT

The 1970s were a stimulating and creative period for the Norwegian cultural sphere in general, and especially for the performing arts. From 1970 to 1980 the state established five regional theatres and, at the same time, the first independent companies were started by enthusiastic young artists who were influenced by the more avant-garde forms of contemporary theatre in Europe, especially in Eastern Europe and in Germany.