Prince of the Trolls

Prince of the Trolls (2003) by The Norwegian Theatre and Cirkus Xanti combined circus and theatre in a performance for the whole family, with actors on the floor and artists from Swedish and Canadian new circuses in the air, artists whose experience are from companies such as Cirque du Soleil, Robert Lepage and Cirkus Cirkör.

Information

(Objekt ID 5887)
Object type Production
Premiere 2003
Produced by The Norwegian Theatre, Cirkus Xanti
Based on Trollprinsen by Sverre Waage, Per Zanussi
Audience Families
Language Norwegian and Norwegian Nynorsk
Keywords Theatre, Circus, Contemporary circus, Dance, Music, Performance for the Family, Fairytale, Fantasy
Running period 2003  
Website Circus Xanti

Requirements to venue

Blackout Yes
More

At the webpage of Cirkus Xanti the following, among other things, is written about Prince of the Trolls:

"The troll Trille longs for the world. While her troll brothers are out and about, Trille sits at home wondering why everything is the way it is. Then one day the brothers forget to put out the magic hearth, where every fairytale is forged. A whimsical goblin visits, and all of a sudden Trille is forging her own fairytales. When Trille starts trolling nothing becomes the way it has been.

Prince of the Trolls is a fairytale performance about freedom, being seen and finding the one. The production was made with inspiration from folk tales and the saga past of Norway. The audience meets original creatures and goblins, princes and princesses, elf magic, love and evil. But most of all Prince of the Trolls is about trolls. Trolls are often presented as large, strong, dumb and ugly. True, they can also be nice and kind, but in fairytales they are usually dangerous. Prince of the Trolls tells the trolls’ own story.

[...]

Prince of the Trolls was made at Haugesund Theatre in 2003, and it was staged in the amusement park of Hunderfossen Family Park the same summer."

Prince of the Trolls won The Hedda Award 2006 in the best production for children and youth category.

The Hedda Jury gave the following reason:

"It is important that good, untraditional productions for children and youth are made. But the jury did not find enough worthy candidates for the award last year, not the year before the last, and the awards were not given out. This year the jury has nominated three very different, but as exciting productions, and the winner is a sweepingly grand performance, bringing new elements to the theatre. A fairytale for the whole family, in which audience members of all ages could find something to delight in. Perhaps each in their way. But together.

This year's winner is Prince of the Trolls by Sverre Waage at The Norwegian Theatre."

Sources:

Cirkus Xanti, cirkusxanti.no, 07.10.2010, http://www.cirkusxanti.no/forestillinger/mer/trollprinsen/

Sceneweb on The Hedda Award, http://www.sceneweb.no/nb/awarding/23836/Heddaprisen_2006-2006

Performance dates
Navember 1, 2005Hovudscenen, The Norwegian Theatre New opening
Navember 13, 2004Hovudscenen, The Norwegian Theatre New opening
2003 Worldwide premiere
Press coverage

VG, Yngve Kvistad, November 13 2004, rating the performance worthy of six pips on the dice.:

"Long time may pass before somebody is able to gather a team as superior as this at one and the same stage. (...) This adventurous performance stretches the limits for the physically possible – and comprehensible – on a stage. (...) Visually moving and endlessly beautiful. (...) Watch this!"

Dagbladet, Sissel Fantoft, November 13 2004:

"If you have children, you should bring them to see Prince of Trolls this year. If you haven’t, there must be someone you could borrow? (...) Acrobats and circus artists are gathered from the best in the world. The result is a highly successful merging of circus and acrobatics, music and fairytale. This is a performance children can love, and adults can love watching it with them."

Jon-Harald Thorsås, Kulturspeilet:

"The Norwegian Theatre is not known for a daring, innovative line in theatre for children, but this time the theatre dares to go for it to the max, and what a success performance it has become!"

IdaLou Larsen, scenekunst.no:

"It has become a sweepingly fine performance, really for the entire family. All ages will find something to rejoice in. Perhaps each in their way. But together."

Andreas Wiese, Dagbladet:

"...a success. And one of the reasons (...) is that the theatre has dared to emphasise new, Norwegian theatre for children. Here is new music, and an orchestra onstage. Acrobats and circus artists have been hired among the best in the world. The result is a highly successful compilation of circus and acrobatics, music and fairytale. This is a performance children can love and adults can love to see with them."