Svein Sturla Hungnes

Svein Sturla Hungnes (born March 21 1946 in Oslo) is a Norwegian actor and director, and formerly an artistic director.

Hungnes had his breakthrough as Joey in The Homecoming by Harold Pinter at The National Theatre in 1970. He was employed by the theatre until 1991.

In the period from 2002 to 2009 Hungnes led Oslo Nye Teater (Oslo New Theatre). At the theatre he directed a number of large-scale musicals, including Les Misérables (2009), Singin' in the Rain (2008), Fiddler on the Roof (2007), La Cage aux Folles (2004) and Chicago (2002).

Svein Sturla Hungnes had been the director of Peer Gynt by Lake Gålå for 25 years when he retired from the position in 2013. For thirteen years he also acted in the title role. He said his farewell through directing two different versions of the same play the same year, Peer Gynt and Selvets keiser* (Emperor of the Self).

*Not yet translated into the English. The title within parentheses is the Norwegian title's literal meaning.

Information

(Objekt ID 11514)
Object type Person
Born March 21, 1946
Functions Director, Actor, Theatre director
Nationality Norwegian
Gender Male
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Svein Sturla Hungnes directed Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf?for Oslo Nye Teater (Oslo New Theatre) in 2002, and the production won The Hedda Award 2003 in the production of the year category.

The Hedda Jury gave the following reason:

"The production of the year was seen by close to 30 000 spectators, and during its run there was actually not a single seat available. The production was the event of the autumn. This was deserved. Without ever working against the text, the director grabbed hold of one of the most well-known dramas of our age, freed it from clichés and conventions, and managed to enlarge the originally simple and tormenting conflicts so that they also dealt with the perverted, destructive game between man and woman. Through excellent interaction the actors of the productions, each in their way contributed to making a tragic, drunken and madcap afterparty into disturbingly good theatre.

The winner of the year is Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf? at Oslo Nye Teater (Oslo New Theatre), directed by Svein Sturla Hungnes, with Anne Krigsvoll, Dennis Storhøi, Nicolai Cleve Broch and Trine Wiggen in the roles."

Sources:

Sceneweb on The Hedda Award 2003, www.sceneweb.no, 24.10.2012, http://www.sceneweb.no/en/awarding/23886/The_Hedda_Award_2003-2003

Store norske leksikon, 23.03.2011, http://www.snl.no/Svein_Sturla_Hungnes

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