Counting Down Towards the 2028 Ibsen Anniversary – Focus on Norwegian Drama in Berlin
In 2028, it will be 200 years since Henrik Ibsen was born. As the world’s most performed playwright after William Shakespeare, the anniversary will be celebrated on a grand scale, both in Norway and internationally. As a prelude to the Ibsen 2028 anniversary, the Norwegian Embassy in Berlin invited guests last week to a day dedicated to Norwegian drama, held in the beautiful setting of the ambassador’s residence. The event is part of an ongoing collaborative project between PAHN (Performing Arts Hub Norway), Dramatikkens hus (The Norwegian Centre for New Playwriting – NCNP) and NORLA, which has resulted in a series of presentations of Norwegian drama around the world, including in New York, Leipzig, London and now Berlin. The aim of the project is to bring Norwegian voices out into the world by building on the legacy of Henrik Ibsen and Jon Fosse with a new generation of playwrights.
The day began with a translation seminar for German translators, joined by a dramaturg from Dramatikkens hus and led by translator Ina Kronenberg, who stepped in at short notice due to illness preventing Hinrich Schmidt-Henkel from attending. The group immersed themselves in a text workshop based on excerpts from Dag Johan Haugerud’s critically acclaimed debut play Sykdom og sosial nød (“Illness and Social Distress”), which this spring has been playing to sold-out audiences at Torshovteatret in Oslo. The workshop sparked many interesting discussions: should one Siezen or Duzen? And what on earth does one do in German with references such as Skaugum (the official residence of Haakon, Crown Prince of Norway and his wife Crown Princess Mette-Marit), and the Norwegian singer Anita Skorgan? Many thanks to everyone for interesting and valuable reflections on such a fascinating text.
A warm welcome from Norway’s Ambassador to Germany, Laila Stenseng, opened the seminar programme of the day, attended by a wide range of figures from the German theatre world. The focus was both on Henrik Ibsen and his relevance for German performing arts today, and on contemporary Norwegian drama.
Photo: Bernhard Ludewig.
Ibsen spent large parts of his life abroad, including in Munich and Dresden. Several of his best-known plays premiered in Germany, and he had a profound influence on the German theatrical tradition. Nearly 200 years after his birth, however, it is time to question established truths.
Participants also gained many interesting perspectives from a panel discussion moderated by theatre critic Barbara Behrendt, featuring playwright and theatre director Sivan Ben Yishai, theatre director Sebastian Hartmann, Professor Clemens Räthel, and theatre director Heiki Riipinen, who also stepped in at short notice for Hinrich Schmidt-Henkel.
The audience then heard staged readings from plays by Kathrine Nedrejord, Fredrik Brattberg, Eirik Fauske and Jon Fosse, directed by dramaturge Johannes Nölting of the Berliner Ensemble.
This was followed by a panel discussion on contemporary Norwegian drama with three of the playwrights, Nedrejord, Brattberg and Fauske, while Jon Fosse was represented by his agent Gina Winje (the theatre rights of Jon Fosse are managed by Columbine Teaterförlag). The conversation was moderated by Barbara Behrendt.
We would like to convey our big thanks to all partners, contributors, participants and guests for an inspiring and rewarding day!
Read more
See the full seminarprogramme here.
Read more about the drama collaboration and previous events here.
More about PAHN.
More about The Norwegian Centre for New Playwriting – NCNP (Dramatikkens hus).
