Den Nationale Scene ( en, National Theater) is the largest

theatre Theatre or theater is a collaborative form of performing art that uses live performers, usually actors or actresses, to present the experience of a real or imagined event before a live audience in a specific place, often a stage. The perfor ...

Bergen Bergen (), historically Bjørgvin, is a city and municipalities of Norway, municipality in Vestland county on the Western Norway, west coast of Norway. , its population is roughly 285,900. Bergen is the list of towns and cities in Norway, secon ...

Norway Norway, officially the Kingdom of Norway, is a Nordic countries, Nordic country in Northern Europe, the mainland territory of which comprises the western and northernmost portion of the Scandinavian Peninsula. The remote Arctic island of ...

. Den Nationale Scene is also one of the oldest permanent theatres in Norway.

History

Opened under the name '' Det Norske Theater'' in 1850, the theatre has roots dating back to its founding on the initiative of the Norwegian violinist

Ole Bull Ole Bornemann Bull (; 5 February 181017 August 1880) was a Norwegian virtuoso violinist and composer. According to Robert Schumann, he was on a level with Niccolò Paganini for the speed and clarity of his playing. Biography Background Bull ...

. The theatre was created to develop Norwegian playwrights.

Henrik Ibsen Henrik Johan Ibsen (; ; 20 March 1828 – 23 May 1906) was a Norwegian playwright and theatre director. As one of the founders of modernism in theatre, Ibsen is often referred to as "the father of realism" and one of the most influential pla ...

was one of the first writers-in-residences and art-directors of the theatre and it saw the première in Norway of his first contemporary realist drama ''

The Pillars of Society ''The Pillars of Society'' (or "Pillars of the Community"; original Norwegian title: ''Samfundets støtter'') is an 1877 play written by Norwegian playwright Henrik Ibsen. Ibsen had great trouble with the writing of this play. The ending is ...

'' (''Samfundets støtter'') on 30 November 1877. The theatre was initially housed in the ''

Komediehuset på Engen Komediehuset på Engen ('Meadow Comedy House') was a historic theatre in Bergen Bergen (), historically Bjørgvin, is a city and municipalities of Norway, municipality in Vestland county on the Western Norway, west coast of Norway. , its popul ...

''. In 1909, The National Theatre moved into the new theatre building at Engen. The current theatre building was designed by Einar Oscar Schou, and opened 19 February 1909 with a production of ''

Erasmus Montanus ''Erasmus Montanus'' is a satirical play about academic snobbery set in rural Denmark. Written by Ludvig Holberg in 1722, the script was first published in 1731 and performed in 1747. Today, it is among Holberg's most frequently performed works. ...

'' by

Ludvig Holberg Ludvig Holberg, Baron of Holberg (3 December 1684 – 28 January 1754) was a writer, essayist, philosopher, historian and playwright born in Bergen, Norway, during the time of the Dano-Norwegian dual monarchy. He was influenced by Humanism, ...

. King

Haakon VII of Norway Haakon VII (; born Prince Carl of Denmark; 3 August 187221 September 1957) was the King of Norway from November 1905 until his death in September 1957. Originally a Danish prince, he was born in Copenhagen as the son of the future Frederick V ...

and Queen Maud were in attendance. It soon became apparent that the building was too small. In 1913 the company bought Ekserserhuset Jonsvoll to use as a warehouse. In 1920, an extension was built to the northwest. Over the years the building has undergone major changes, extensions, renovation, restoration and stage technical modernisation. The foyer and the hall were destroyed during the

Second World War World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposi ...

, and only temporarily restored.''Den Nationale Scene'' (Store norske leksikon)
/ref> The theatre experienced a pre-war high point during the period 1934-39 under the leadership Hans Jacob Nilsen. Especially noteworthy was the 1935 premiere of the play ''Vår ære og vår makt'' ("Our Honor and our Power") by Nordahl Grieg. In 2001 the building was restored almost to its original shape. Today the theatre houses three stages/venues and presents approximately 20 productions each year, both international and national classics, musicals and contemporary drama, as well as children's theatre. Since 1993, the theatre has been state property.

Directors of the Theatre

* 1876–1879 Nils Wichstrøm * 1879–1880

Johan Bøgh Johan Wallace Hagelsteen Bøgh (27 May 1848 – 22 July 1933) was a Norwegian museum director and art historian based in the city of Bergen. Personal life He was born in Bergen as the son of district stipendiary magistrate Ole Bøgh (1810–1872) ...

* 1880–1881 John Grieg * 1881–1884

* 1884–1888

Gunnar Heiberg Gunnar Edvard Rode Heiberg (18 November 1857 – 22 February 1929) was a Norwegian poet, playwright, journalist and theatre critic. Personal life He was born in Christiania a son of judge Edvard Omsen Heiberg (1829–1884) and his wife Minna (V ...

* 1888–1889

Henrik Jæger Henrik Jæger (4 January 1854 – 17 December 1895) was a Norwegian literary historian, literary critic and playwright. He was born in Bergen as a son of sailmaker Herman Jæger (1824–1871) and Birgitte Pedersen. He was a nephew of Tycho ...

* 1889–1890 Otto Valseth * 1890–1895 Johan Irgens-Hansen * 1895–1898 Olaf Hansson * 1899–1900 Hans Aanrud * 1900–1905 Gustav Thomassen * 1905–1907 Anton Heiberg * 1908–1909

Olaf Mørch Hansson Olaf Mørch Hansson (28 July 1856 – 22 February 1912) was a Norwegian actor and theatre director, journalist and newspaper editor. He was married to Thora Hansson from 1880 to 1896, and then to Agnethe Schibsted-Hansson from 1896 to 1912. Bio ...

* 1910–1924

Ludvig Bergh Ludvig Bergh (9 January 1865 – 22 October 1924) was a Norwegian military officer, singer, actor and theatre director. He made his concert debut in Copenhagen in 1890. He worked as an actor in Christiania at the Carl Johan Theater, Christiania ...

* 1924–1925

Christian Sandal Christian Sandal (12 October 1872 – 17 May 1951) was a Norwegian actor and theatre director. He made his debut at Den Nationale Scene in 1894, and was the director of that theatre from 1924 to 1925. In 1898 he was a co-founder of the trade uni ...

* 1925–1931

Thomas Thomassen Thomas Thomassen (19 November 1878 – 7 January 1962) was a Norwegian actor, director and theater manager. Biography Thomassen was born in Tønsberg, Norway. He was the son of Thomas Marthinius Thomassen (1845–1925) and Laura Christine Th ...

* 1931–1934

Karl Bergmann Karl Bergmann (15 November 1882 – 16 June 1964) was a Norwegian actor and theatre director. He made his stage debut in 1901 at Den Nationale Scene in Bergen. He served as theatre director of Den Nationale Scene from 1931 to 1934. Person ...

* 1934–1939 Hans Jacob Nilsen * 1939–1946 Egil Hjorth-Jenssen * 1946–1948 Stein Bugge * 1948–1952

Georg Løkkeberg Georg Løkkeberg (20 November 1909 – 19 August 1986) was a Norwegian actor and theatre director. He appeared in 29 films between 1934 and 1978. He starred in the film '' The Master and His Servants'', which was entered into the 9th Berlin I ...

* 1952–1961

Per Schwab Per Schwab (17 August 1911 – 2 August 1970) was a Swedish-born Norwegian painter, scenographer, and theatre director. Biography Schwab was born in Stockholm, Sweden. His parents were the professor Eigil Wilhelm Schwab (1882–1952) and the paint ...

* 1961–1963

Bjarne Andersen Bjarne Andersen (15 January 1909 – 13 August 1982) was a Norwegian actor, stage producer and theatre director. Personal life Andersen was born in Stavanger to Emil Laurentzius Andersen and Ingeborg Bertine Osmondsdatter Udvig. He married l ...

* 1963–1967 Gisle Straume * 1967–1976

Knut Thomassen Knut Thomassen (17 March 1921 – 20 January 2002) was a Norwegian actor and theatre director. He made his stage debut at Det Nye Teater in Oslo in 1941. He served as theatre director of Den Nationale Scene from 1967 to 1976. He was an active ...

* 1976–1982

Sven Henning Sven Henning (born 18 September 1940) is a Norwegian theatre instructor and director. He was born in Trondheim, and started his instructor career at Trøndelag Teater from 1966 to 1969. He moved on to instruct at Den Nationale Scene from 1971 to 1 ...

* 1982–1986

Kjetil Bang-Hansen Kjetil Bang-Hansen (born 16 May 1940) is a Norwegian actor, dancer, stage producer and theatre director. Early and personal life Bang-Hansen was born in Oslo as the son of writer Odd Bang-Hansen and physician Elise Aas. He married dancer and ch ...

* 1986–1996

Tom Remlov Tom Remlov (born 21 July 1949) is a Norwegian actor, dramaturg, film producer, theatre director, and opera manager. He served as theatre director of Den Nationale Scene from 1986 to 1995, and was manager of Norsk Film from 1996 to 2001. He was ...

* 1996–1997

Ketil Egge Ketil Egge (11 March 1950 – 26 March 1997) is a Norwegian actor and theatre director. Egge was born in Oslo as a son of composer Klaus Egge. He made his stage debut at Trøndelag Teater in 1971, and was then hired at Teatret Vårt in 1973 and ...

* 1997

Aksel-Otto Bull Aksel-Otto Bull (born 22 February 1963) is a Norwegian theatre director. He is born in Oslo. He worked as a stage director at Nova Teater from 1984 to 1985, and has later worked for Nordland Teater, Agder Teater and Den Nationale Scene Den ...

* 1998 Lars Arrhed * 1998–2001

Bentein Baardson Bentein Baardson (born 6 November 1953 in New York City) is Norwegian actor, instructor and theatre director. He was born in New York, and is the son of Brynjolv Baardson. Bentein Baardson graduated from Teaterhøyskolen in 1975. He has set up ...

* 2001–2007 Morten Borgersen * 2008–2012

Bjarte Hjelmeland Bjarte Hjelmeland (born 24 February 1970) is a Norwegian actor and theatre director. He was born in Bergen. He made his stage debut in 1991 at Oslo Nye Teater, and also had notable roles at the National Theatre, Rogaland Teater, Torshovteatre ...

* 2012–

Agnete Haaland Agnete Gullestad Haaland (born 10 March 1960) is a Norwegian stage and film actress, organizational leader and theatre director. She was born in Bergen, and is a daughter of actress Anne Gullestad. From 2000 to 2011 she chaired the Norwegian A ...

References

External links

Den Nationale Scene
{{Coord, 60.393, N, 5.320, E, display=title, source:dewiki Theatres in Bergen 1850 establishments in Norway

History

Directors of the Theatre

See also

References

Further reading

External links