Ingunn Beate Øyen

In 2002 Ingunn Beate Øyen visited The National Stage, where she took part in 1900: Maskespill* (1900: Play of the Mask) and 1900: Maskefall* (1900: Fall of the Mask), a dramatisation of Gunnar Staalesen's family saga. In 1996 she guest-starred at The National Theatre as Margrethe in The Pretenders and in 2009 she played Aung San Suu Kyi when Nord-Trøndelag Theatre staged The Lady of Burma in collaboration with Nobel Peace Center and The Falstad Centre.

Among her roles at The Norwegian Theatre are Joan of Arc in Jean Anouilh's The Lark (1995), the young woman in Jon Fosse's A Summer's Day (1999), Lady Macduff in Macbeth (1999) and Celia in As You Like It (2000). In 1997 she took part in Fuente Ovejuna by Lope de Vega, and in 2000 she was Barbara in Fear Eats the Soul by Fassbinder. She played Toine in the musical Piaf, Queen Elizabeth in Richard III (2007) and Micheline in Abi Morgan's Splendour.

In addition Ingunn Beate Øyen has played a large number of roles in recent Nordic drama; in addition to Fosse, the plays she has taken part in include Glenn Belden's Betre utan ball* (Better without the ball) (2007), Carl Frode Tiller's Encircling (2011), Line Knutzon's The Builders (2011) and Jonas Hassen Khemiri's We Who Are Hundred (2012).

She has acted in the TV series Taxi (2011), Deadline Torp (2005), Johnny and Johanna (2004) and Gåten Knut Hamsun* (The Mystery of Knut Hamsun) (1996), among others. She has also taken part in several movies, including Gone with the Woman (2007) and The Kautokeino Rebellion (2008).

Ingunn Beate Øyen won The Hedda Award 2006 in the best leading actress category for the role of King Richardin Richard II by William Shakespeare, produced by The Norwegian Theatre.

The Hedda Jury gave the following reason:

"This year's winner has interpreted a number of different roles at the theatre for which she has worked most of the time since graduating from The National Academy of Theatre. With equal competence she has interpreted classics such as Shakespeare and contemporary playwrights such as Jon Fosse. She has played mild women such as Celia in As You Like It and strong women such as Jeanne d'Arc. But she gets the award for her nuanced and convincing interpretation of a man - a powerful, yet weak and complex man.

The best leading actress award goes to Ingunn Beate Øyen for her interpretation of King Richard II at The Norwegian Theatre."

Sources:

The Hedda Award

The Norwegian Theatre

Internet Movie Database

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

The National Academy of Theatre 1989-92.

• The Hedda Award 2006 - Best leading actress

• The Hedda Award 2006 - Best leading actress