The name Henrik Ibsen will be hard to avoid from 24 august to 16 September in Oslo. Norway's national theatre organises its annual Ibsen Stage Festival for the tenth time and backed up by the Ibsen Year 2006 the theatre is setting the field for a gigantic celebration of the renowned author.
8/22/2006 :: Both actors and audience members travel long distances to experience some of the six premieres and a huge selection of Ibsen events in Oslo. Nationaltheatret presents 31 Ibsen productions from all over the world during the festival.
In addition to other famous Ibsen characters, you will be able to experience five actresses' interpretation of Hedda Gabler—with German, Chinese, Indian, Norwegian and Danish productions. After "A doll's house", "Hedda Gabler" is Henrik Ibsen's most frequently produced play and the Ibsen Stage Festival's tightly packed schedule contains 16 performances of the famous piece.
Among many Norwegian productions, Oslo will also be teeming with international contributions. Henrik Ibsen himself went abroad to write and find inspiration and the Ibsen festival fronts interpretations of the Norwegian author's plays from 15 different countries. "A doll's house" comes to life with a new emphasis on female realism in Burkina Faso, while a fusion of the Japanese noh theatre and European theatres traditions come together in "Double Nora". The Norwegian theatre group Teater Manu is an acting group for the hearing disabled and they will perform their interpretation of "Peer Gynt".
The Ibsen Festival 2006 is Nationaltheatret's main event during the Ibsen Year, a year that commemorates that it is 100 year since Norway's most influential poet and author Henrik Ibsen died.
Norwegian Ministry of Foreign Affairs