Henrik Rafaelsen

The Hedda Jury gave the following reason for the award to the Edda ensemble:

"Certain assignments demand a more dedicated approach than others. Intense concentration. Detail-oriented precision. Finely tuned musicality. This year's award in the special artistic achievement category goes to an ensemble of actors who met and who mastered such an assignment with force and conviction. Some of them had experience with the same director and the same expression from former work. Some entered the work with openness and a will to learn. Together they succeeded in creating one of this year's most grandiose and most coherently stylistic performing arts experiences."

Henrik Rafaelsen also won The Norwegian Critics' Award (theatre) 2004/2005 for his role as Peer in Robert Wilson's Peer Gynt.

Jan H. Landro said the following, among other things, in his award ceremony speech on behalf of Norwegian Critics' Association:

"As an actor today's award winner has loyally bent for the instructor's demanding concept to contribute to a theatrical experience we have barely seen the like of at Norwegian stages.

He has not just documented his familiarity with a form that for most Norwegian actors must seem unknown and desperately different; at the same time he has taken the liberty to play with this form in a way strengthening the whole without in any disturbing way promoting the actor for himself. Virtuously and secure in form, but also richly nuancing he manages to give life to the very classic character of Norwegian theatre and drama history."

SOURCES:

Norwegian Critics' Association, kritikerlaget.no, 29.09.2011, http://www.kritikerlaget.no/pages/nor/170-henrik_rafaelsen_mottok_aarets_teaterkritikerpris

The Hedda Award, heddaprisen.no, 19.06.2017, https://www.heddaprisen.no/vinnere/2017

• Norwegian Critics' Award 2004/05 - Norwegian Critics' Award (theatre)