The Robbers

The Robbers was a theatre production by The Norwegian Theatre, produced in 2014 and based on the play by Friedrich Schiller

Jonas Corell Petersen directed it.

The Robbers was nominated for The Hedda Award 2014 in the production of the year category.

Ragnar Hovland was nominated for The Hedda Award 2014 in the best stage text category for his translation of The Robbers and of Lukas Bärfuss' Twenty Thousand Pages.

Information

(Objekt ID 38092)
Object type Production
Premiere February 21, 2014
Produced by The Norwegian Theatre
Based on Røverne (Morderne) by Friedrich von Schiller
Audience Adults
Audience size 1643
Number of events 21
Language Norwegian Nynorsk
Keywords Theatre, Drama
Running period February 21, 2014  
Duration 1 hour, 40 minutes, no interval
Website Det Norske Teatret
More

At the webpage of The Norwegian Theatre the following, among other things, is written about The Robbers:

"The count and father of the house finds that only when one cheats or fights, when one breaks all norms and moral rules, one is free to think higher thoughts. Because of this he is well into a moral decline project of his own, consisting of vintage wines and porn on his iPad. The conscientious son Franz desperately tries to capture his father's attention, and to awaken his feelings as a father. But his father is always only aware of the twin brother Karl, who leads a carefree student life with his friends. Karl is a lot prettier than his brother, and is also perceived as smarter and more well-read than he actually is. Things come easy to him. Franz is darkened by hatred and jealousy and succeeds in turning the father against Karl, as well as in stealing his girlfriend. In desperation Karl gathers a gang of student friends to create a band of robbers, fighting for freedom and justice, as they see it. But eventually the aims become more extreme and the whole thing gets out of control.

The play of Schiller's youth
Friedrich Schiller (1759-1805) is the great classical pillar of German literature, next to Goethe. He was only 22 years old when he wrote this classic. Important aspects of Schiller's works are the conflicts connected to identity problems, the individual versus the power and social structure, the rebellion against the establishment. The Robbers is a work of Schiller's youth, and he likely started working with it as early as at the age of 17. Five years later, in 1782, the play had its world premiere, and it created chaos in the theatre. The rebellion following was more similar to modern youth phenomena in which pop-cultural events starts processes turning the young against the more established. But today a lot suggests that the young lack something to rebel for or against. They have been referred to as the obedient generation. They don't drink much, they do their homework and don't argue with their parents. Or is there still something suppressed smouldering beneath the politically correct surface?"

Sources:

The Norwegian Theatre, www.detnorsketeatret.no, 11.03.2014, http://www.detnorsketeatret.no/index.php?option=com_play&view=play&playid=413

Import from the Scenekunst.no list of openings 07/01-2014

The Hedda Award, heddaprisen.no, 19.05.2014, http://www.heddaprisen.no/pub/heddaprisen/main/?aid=1215

Performance dates
February 21, 2014 19:00 – Scene 2, Det Norske Teatret, The Norwegian Theatre Opening night