Lillebil Ibsen

Lillebil Ibsen was connected to Det Nye Teater, later part of Oslo Nye Teater (Oslo New Theatre), from 1929 to 1946. During this time she very often collaborated with her mother Gyda Christensen. Lillebil Ibsen acted in central roles in her mother's productions of Henrik Ibsen plays such as The Wild Duck (Det Nye Teater 1942), Hedda Gabler (Det Nye Teater 1943), The Lady from the Sea (Det Nye Teater 1945) and When We Dead Awaken (Det Nye Teater 1947).

Among other mother/daughter collaborations at Det Nye Teater we find Bayard Veiller's The Trial of Mary Dugan, Agatha Christie's Love from a Stranger (1940), Moss/Kaufman's The Man Who Came to Dinner (1940) and Noel Coward's Private Lives (1945). Even after officially retiring Gyda Christensen took assignments as a visiting director. In 1949 she staged Somerset Maugham's Jane for Det Nye Teater, with Lillebil Ibsen in the title role, and in 1950, when Christensen was aged 77 years old, she staged Jean Anouilh's Cry of the Peacock for the same theatre. Ibsen interpreted the role of the countess.

Ellida in The Lady from the Sea Lillebil Ibsen had already interpreted as early as in 1925, at The Lyric Theatre in London, whereas she later interpreted the roles of Nora in A Doll's House (1956) and Helene Alving in Ghosts (1954). The latter was performed in Paris and Stockholm as well as in Oslo.

Lillebil Ibsen also made her mark as an elegant as well as vivid comedienne in plays such as Private Lives by Noel Coward, the plays Theatre and Jane by Somerset Maugham, Shakespeare's The Taming of the Shrew and Madame Sans-Gêne by Sardou. At times she had performances in Sweden and Denmark, including in Colombe by Jean Anouilh at The Royal Danish Theatre in Copenhagen in 1952.

In the years from 1956 to 1969 Lillebil Ibsen was an employee of The National Theatre, where her roles included Claire Zachanassian in The Visit by Friedrich Dürrenmatt (1957), Mrs. Warren in Shaw's Mrs. Warren's Profession (1957), Martha in Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf? by Edward Albee (1964), and Lady Bracknell in Oscar Wilde's The Importance of Being Earnest (1972).

With Per Aabel she had a giant success with Jerome Kilty's Dear Liar, at The National Theatre in 1961. They shared Norwegian Critics' Award 1961 for this production, which was revived several times and played on tour in Norway, Sweden and Denmark, plus adapted for radio and TV. With a revival of this production Lillebil Ibsen celebrated her 70thanniversary as a performing artist in 1981.

Towards the end of her career Lillebil Ibsen starred at Oslo Nye Teater (Oslo New Theatre) several times, in productions including Forty Carats, Harold and Maude and A Little Night Music.

In 1961 she published the autobiography Det begynte med dansen (literally: It began with the dance).

Sources:

The performance archive of Oslo Nye Teater (Oslo New Theatre)

Norsk Biografisk Leksikon on Lillebil Ibsen, http://nbl.snl.no/Lillebil_Ibsen

The National Theatre on Lillebil Ibsen, http://forest.nationaltheatret.no/Persons/Details/485e723b-150d-4ac0-9ab1-30b4767d9986

Norsk Biografisk Leksikon on Gyda Christensen, http://nbl.snl.no/Gyda_Christensen

• Kritikerprisen 1960/61 - Teaterkritikerprisen