ICON - International Contemporary Stage Programme

ICON is an international contemporary theatre platform, arranged by The National Theatre every second year.

From 2011 the ICON platform replaced what was earlier The Contemporary Stage Festival. The platform presents influential companies within international performing arts.

The Contemporary Stage Festival was established in 2001 and opened the autumn season at the theatre every second year until 2009. The National Theatre still wanted to invite innovative theatre to Oslo, but rather than timing the performances to the two weeks starting the season, the theatre chose to spread them.

This platform was named ICON, from International CONtemporary Stage Programme, and started in 2011.

The platform is curated in collaboration with Sven Åge Birkeland, artistic director of BIT Teatergarasjen in Bergen. 

Information

(Objekt ID 33664)
Object type Organization
Organization type Festival
Main focus Theatre
Established 2011
Website NATIONALTHEATRET

Contact information

Address Oslo, Norway

Other information

Legal entity Other
More

At the webpage of The National Theatre the following, among other things, is written about ICON:

"New and old icons
– Every decade a name that will remain standing shows up. Each of the productions presented during the ICON platform has been made by people who broke through in each their decade. Elisabeth Lecompte and The Wooster Group broke through during the 70es/80es - the audience of The National Theatre will be meeting them come autumn (2011, Sceneweb's comment). Romeo Castellucci broke through during the 80es/90es, and Gisèle Vienne's name is remaining after the first decade of the 2000s.

Mix of genre and non-hierarchical dramaturgy
Curator Sven Åge Birkeland asks us to put away the idea of theatre as literature, to open all senses.

- This will be a unique chance for the audience of The National Theatre to be brought up to date on what is happening in the field of contemporary performing arts, says the curator for the ICON platform, Sven Åge Birkeland, who is normally the artistic director of BIT Teatergarasjen in Bergen. With ICON the audience may discover a new theatrical world of grand visual experiences, theatre concerts and other surprising genres, perhaps not so familiar. ICON aims to introduce historical highlights, modern theatre innovators, influential companies and directors within a theatre tradition with roots back to the visual arts community, rather than the ancient amphi theatre and the Norwegian Ibsen tradition.

- But the performances don't just address the theatre audience, rather an audience interested in arts in general: People who care for visual arts and music may enjoy this a lot. In these theatre performances music and image are as central as text."

ICON is arranged every second year, and in the years in between The National Theatre arranges The Ibsen Festival.

I 2011 ICON presented This is How You Will Disappear by Gisèle Vienne, The Minister's Black Veil by Romeo Castellucci, and Tennessee Williams' Vieux Carré by legendary The Wooster Group. In 2013 the programme included Miranda after Shakespeare's The Tempest by Oskaras Koršunovas Teater, Lucia's Chapters of Coming Forth by Day by The National Theatre and The Theatre of Cruelty in collaboration with Mabou Mines, and Heracles Oder Die Hydra by Heiner Müller, directed, choreographed and with stage design by Johannes Dahl.

Source:

The National Theatre, nationaltheatret.no, 26.02.2013, http://www.nationaltheatret.no/Nationaltheateret/Festival/ICON_International_Contemporary_Stage_Programme/

Performance dates
Title Premiere
Yoga for Theatres – October 12, 2019 – MaisonDahlBonnema
Yoga for Theatres – October 11, 2019 – MaisonDahlBonnema
Yoga for Theatres – October 10, 2019 – MaisonDahlBonnema
Spørrespillet – Navember 13, 2017 – The National Theatre
Jeg vil høre havet* (I want to hear the ocean) – Navember 4, 2017
Soldater – June 6, 2015
Young@Heart: End of the road – October 11, 2013 – No Theater
Vieux Carré – Navember 12, 2011 – The Wooster Group
Vieux Carré – Navember 11, 2011 – The Wooster Group
The ministers black veil – April 14, 2011 – Romeo Castellucci
This is how you will disappear – February 25, 2011 – Gisèle Vienne
This is how you will disappear – February 24, 2011 – Gisèle Vienne
On the concept of the face, regarding the son of god – February 14, 2011 – Romeo Castellucci
Contributors (2)
Sven Åge Birkeland – Curator (fra 2011)
Hanne Tømta – Curator (fra 2011)