Min storebror Henrik og Olaf Liljekrans* (My Big Brother Henrik and Olaf Liljekrans)

Min storebror Henrik og Olaf Liljekrans* (My Big Brother Henrik and Olaf Liljekrans) by The Puppetry Company Kattas Figurteater Ensemble tells about Henrik Ibsen’s life and work.

Henrik Ibsen played with theatre figures as a child, in particular the type of puppets we know refer to as model theatre. He drew, painted and cut out little carton figures he put on small cubes of wood so that they could stand up. His sister Hedvig is the most important source to the story about Ibsen’s childhood game.

As an adult Ibsen used the knowledge he had found through playing in designing stage design and costumes for many performances in working at theatres in Bergen and Oslo. Among other things he drew the costumes for his own national romantic drama Olaf Liljekrans.

Puppetry artist, playwright and theoretician Anne Helgesen has served herself, using the costume drawings of Henrik Ibsen’s and made sure they have become theatre puppets in the production Min storebror Henrik og Olaf Liljekrans. In the role of the younger sister Hedvig she tells stories from Ibsen’s childhood and playing, but first and foremost she plays Olaf Liljekrans in the model theatre stage.

Sources:

Anne Helgesen's private archive, donated by Anne Helgesen. 11.05.2009

Performing Arts Hub Norway, http://www.danseogteatersentrum.no/sck/members.shtml?lang=nor&sam=&cat=&gen=&cou=&cri=Kattas%20Figurteaterensemble&aid=171&prid=5&act=prod , 22.11.2010

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