The Hedda Award 2004

Kjetil Bang-Hansen for The Celebration by Vinterberg/Rukov/Hansen at the main stage of The National Theatre:

"Ever since he in 1962 graduated from The National Academy of Theatre, Kjetil Bang-Hansen has been a central mover in Norwegian theatre. Today he is steadily employed as an instructor and artistic counsellor at The National Theatre, where he this autumn delights audiences with two excellent, but very different productions, The Celebration and The Animals in the Hunchback Wood.

He started his theatre career as an actor and instructor at different Norwegian theatres, and he has been the dean of The National Academy of Theatre, as well as the artistic director and CEO of several of our major venues: Rogaland Theatre, The National Stage, The National Theatre and Oslo Nye Teater (Oslo New Theatre). Kjetil Bang-Hansen has directed productions at most Norwegian theatres, as well as visiting as a director in Poland, Denmark, France and USA.

Last year he won The Hedda Award in the best direction category for The Importance of Being Earnest at The National Theatre."

Alexander Mørk-Eidem for The Seagull by Anton Chekhov at the main stage of The Norwegian Theatre:

"Ever since he in 1998 graduated from the directors' study at The National Academy of Theatre, Alexander Mørk-Eidem has been among the most profiled and interesting young Norwegian directors - and one of the most used. At home he has staged productions for Rogaland Theatre and Trøndelag Theatre, The Norwegian Theatre and The National Theatre.

He has staged Shakespeare and Jon Fosse, Tennessee Williams and Chekhov, but also Astrid Lindgren and Thorbjørn Egner. He has also had great assignments at The Royal Danish Theatre in Copenhagen and Stockholm City Theatre, the latter of which he is now connected to.

He won The Hedda Award in the best direction category in 2000 for Not about Nightingales by Tennessee Williams at The Norwegian Theatre, and his production of Mikhail Bulgakov's Flight at The Royal Danish Theatre was this year selected as the production of the year in Denmark."

Gábor Zsámbéki for Histrionics by Thomas Bernhard at The National Theatre, the amphi stage:

"Hungarian Gábor Zsámbéki was born in 1953. From 1974 to 1978 he led the Csiky Gergely theatre in the village of Kaposvár, making it one of the most important theatres in Hungary. He was the main instructor of the national theatre in Budapest from 1978 to 1982. At the time he founded the Katona theatre, which he has led since. From 1979 he has also been teaching direction and acting at the national theatre academy in Budapest. He was recently reelected as the leader of The Union of European Theatres, for the third time.

In Norway he has staged Molière's The Miser in 1998, Büchner's Woyzeck in 1999 and Ibsen's Hedda Gabler in 2003, all of the mentioned at Rogaland Theatre. At The National Theatre he has staged Molière's Tartuffe (2001), Little Eyolf (2002) and Histrionics by Thomas Bernhard in 2004. Even Stormoen won The Hedda Award in the particularly excellent performance category for his interpretation of Harpagon in Zsámbéki's production of The Miser, and Zsámbéki was nominated in the best direction category."

Ingrid Nylander for the costumes for La Cage aux Folles at Oslo Nye Teater (Oslo New Theatre):

"Ingrid Nylander majored in costumes at The National Academy of Craft and Art Industry (1991). She assisted Kari Gravklev in making the costumes for the opening and closing ceremonies during the Lillehammer Olympics in 1994.

She is among our most used costume designers, and to name a few of her most important assignments: She has made the costumes for Body Troopers in 1994, The Miser at Rogaland Theatre in 1997, Hamlet at The National Theatre in 1998, Romeo and Juliet at The National Stage in 1999, King Lear, also at The National Stage in 2000, Jeppe of the Hill in 1999 and Antons Villfaring* (Anton's Deviation) in 2002."

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

Ellen Ruge for the lighting design for Winter Storage at The National Theatre, the amphi stage (Amfiscenen):

"Ellen Ruge was born in Osloin 1960. She was educated as a still photographer at Fotoskolan in Stockholm (1982) and a video photographer at Videoakademin in Gothenburg in 1986. She has been active as a lighting technician in Stockholm and the rest of the Nordic countries since the mid-1980es, and has done the lighting for theatre, exhibitions, opera and ballet.

Among the directors she has worked with are Terje Mærli, Mats Ek, Suzanne Osten, Ragnar Lyth, Leif Stinnerbom and Ole Anders Tandberg, and the productions include the latter's Kjæm ailler att* (Will never be back) at The National Theatre in 2001."

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

Stephan Østensen for the stage design for The Master Builder at Trøndelag Theatre, the studio (Studioscenen):

"Stephan Østensen was born in Trondheim, and educated at The National Academy of Craft and Art Industry and The National Academy of Fine Arts. From 1992 he has worked as an independent stage designer in Norway and Europe. He has also directed dance, theatre and movies. For a long time he has collaborated closely with Jo Strømgren, for whom his assignments include the stage design Masculine Mysteries, A dance tribute to the art of football and Gorri Gorri.

He also made the stage design for Jo Strømgren's most personal version of When We Dead Awaken during The Ibsen Festival 2002, and for his as personal version of The Nutcracker, opening in Vienna this winter. Stephan Østensen currently lives in Barcelona."

Jan Grønli for the role of Bruscon in Histrionics at The National Theatre, The Amphi Stage (Amfiscenen):

"Jan Grønli was an employee of The National Stage from 1971 to 1977, of Rogaland Theatre from 1977 to 1989, and at The National Theatre from 1989 to 1991. Since then he has been connected to The Norwegian Theatre, though he has also had assignments at The Norwegian Touring Theatre. In 2004 he guest-starred at The National Theatre in the role of Bruscon in Histrionics by Thomas Bernhard.

He has played Sophocles and Shakespeare, Ibsen and Lars Norén, Holberg and Jon Fosse. He directed the cult performance Werther, which he had also adapted for the theatre in collaboration with actor Hallvard Holmen. He is known from several motion pictures such as Rebels with a Cause, Lakki and most recently Jonny Vang.

Jan Grønli has been honoured with the memorial award of Aksel Valdemar, the radio theatre award called Blå Fugl (literally: Blue Bird, 1995), the grant of Aase Bye (1997) and the Hulda Garborg award (2000). But this is the first time he is nominated for The Hedda Award."

Mia Gundersen, for the role of Evita in Evita at Rogaland Theatre:

"Mia Gundersen was born in Stavanger, and made her debut aged eight, at The Children and Youth Theatre of Rogaland Theatre, where she was active until she turned 15 years. She wanted to become an actress, but started her career as a singer. Her first great theatre role was Eliza in My Fair Lady at Rogaland Theatre, and she is now among Norway's greatest musical actors.

She has had the role of Sugar in the musical by the same name, and Sally Bowles in Cabaret, and she took part in The Norwegian Theatre's popular Musikal Musical. But she has also had success with the monologue Gelsomina, which she discovered during the theatre festival in Avignon, and immediately secured the rights to perform."

Bjarte Hjelmeland, for the role of Jeppe in Jeppe of the Hill, The National Theatre:

"Bjarte Hjelmeland graduated from The National Academy of Theatre in 1991, and since then he has been connected to The National Theatre, while having had assignments at most Norwegian theatres. From 1996 to 1998 he was part of the company at The Torshov Theatre, where he had great success with Bernard-Marie Koltès' monologue Night Just Before the Forest, performed aboard one of the trams in the city.

He was nominated for The Hedda Award 2002 for the role of Fabian Feste in Twelfth Night at The National Theatre, and for the role of Steinar in the musical Antons villfaring* (Anton's Deviation) at The Norwegian Theatre the same year. Other than that he is the singer of his own country band, he has directed several productions, and while playing the role of Jeppe at The National Theatre he also did 42 different roles in the play Fully Committed in the nightclub Smuget in Oslo, directed by Toralv Maurstad.

Bjarte Hjelmeland won The Honorary Award of Per Aabel in 1995, the radio theatre award Blå Fugl (literally: Blue Bird) for his interpretation of the title role in Henrik Ibsen's Brand (2000), Hotel Continental's actor award 2004 for his role of Jeppe in Jeppe of the Hill, and the grant of Aase Bye for 2004."

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

The Celebration at The National Theatre:

"A story of fate, etching strong the way it is put together. The tragic family drama about the sins of the fathers sits tight, direction is efficient and the ensemble excellent."

Elisabeth Rygg, Aftenposten

Songs of the Beehive at The Norwegian Theatre, Scene 2:

"This is yet another great, Norwegian effort from The Norwegian Theatre, and it has become a great, warm and vulnerable success."

Andreas Wiese, Dagbladet

Purpur og gull* (Purple and Gold) at Trøndelag Theatre, Gamle Scene:

"With infecting joy in acting the everyday life description takes off and becomes a liberated as well as melancholy feast of rhythm in Purpur og gull."

Martin Nordvik, Adresseavisen

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