Norwegian Drama goes global
Following Jon Fosse being awarded the Nobel Prize in Literature 2023 for both prose and drama, a collaborative initiative was launched to promote contemporary Norwegian drama, by PAHN (Performing Arts Hub Norway), The Norwegian Centre for New Playwriting – NCNP (Dramatikkens hus), and NORLA. The initiative is funded by the Norwegian Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
So far, three events have taken place, highlighting playwrights Fredrik Brattberg and Kathrine Nedrejord, in addition to Jon Fosse:
New York – January: “Norway Now”
At the “From Ibsen to Fosse to New Voices” event, presented by PAHN and Dramatikkens hus, Fosse’s literary agent Gina Winje and playwright Fredrik Brattberg took part in a conversation led by academic and literary critic Merve Emre. This was followed by readings from plays by Jon Fosse, Brattberg, and Nedrejord.
Watch the recording of the event here
Leipzig – March: Leipzig Book Fair, where Norway was the Guest of Honour
A packed audience filled the beautiful venue Grieg Begegnungsstätte for an evening of dramatic readings from plays by Brattberg and Nedrejord. The pieces were performed by five actors from Schauspiel Leipzig, directed by Eivind Haugland, who also moderated the post-reading conversation while simultaneously translating into German.
London – May: Diving into Norwegian Drama
At the Norwegian Ambassador’s Residence the day started with a translation workshop led by Paul Russell Garrett, where eleven translators physically explored translating a scene from Jon Fosse’s play Einkvan. This was followed by a publishing roundtable on translator–publisher relations in the UK.
In the afternoon there was a highly engaging panel discussing Jon Fosse’s impact and position in British theatre, followed by five actors who performed excerpts from plays by Fredrik Brattberg and Kathrine Nedrejord.
The day concluded with the international opening night of Det Norske Teatret’s production of Einkvan at The Coronet Theatre. A full house then enjoyed a lively talkback session with theatre director Kjersti Horn and one of the actors.
Next Stop
Dramatikkens hus will continue the international promotion of Norwegian drama with a dedicated stand at the Göteborg Book Fair in September.
This project aims to bring new Norwegian voices to the global stage—building on the legacy of Ibsen and Fosse with the next generation of playwrights.
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More about PAHN and Dramatikkens hus
