| Title (2) | File type | Publiseringsdato | Download |
|---|---|---|---|
| Season program from The Norwegian Theatre in autumn 2013. | January 2013 | Download | |
| Season program from The Norwegian Theatre in the spring of 2013. | January 2013 | Download |
Songs of the Beehive
Songs of the Beehive was a theatre production produced by The Norwegian Theatre in 2003, based on the book by Frode Grytten, adapted for the theatre by Lasse Kolsrud. The production was staged at Scene 2, The Norwegian Theatre.
Lasse Kolsrud also directed the production. This was his directorial debut, and he received The Hedda Award 2004 in the debut of the year category for it.
Songs of the Beehive became a major success, and was part of the repertoire for several seasons. It was seen by almost 200 000 spectators.
The production also visited Odda, where the action takes place, for a run of 10 performances.
The Norwegian Theatre reviveed Songs of the Beehive in 2013, with new stage design and some changes in the cast. The 2013 went on tour with The Norwegian Touring Theatre, for a run of 22 performances.
Information
(Objekt ID 23873)| Object type | Production |
| Premiere | September 5, 2003 |
| Produced by | The Norwegian Theatre |
| In collaboration with | The Norwegian Touring Theatre (Riksteatret) |
| Based on | Songs of the Beehive by Frode Grytten |
| Audience | Adults |
| Audience size | 62408 |
| Number of events | 288 |
| Language | Norwegian Nynorsk |
| Keywords | Theatre, Drama |
| Running period | September 5, 2003 |
| Duration | 2 hours, 35 minutes |
Requirements to venue
| Blackout | No |
The Hedda Jury gave the following reason for the award to Lasse Kolsrud:
"This year's debut is not made by a newcomer within the theatre world. He has been part of it quite some while, and has in many ways made his mark. But that has been as an actor. Now, for the first time, he has made a whole production from nothing. And not any kind of production, but one that the critics have appreciated greatly, and the audiences have loved.
It has been playing for full houses since the autumn of 2003, it will be back on again this autumn, and it has even moved out of town: The journey to Western Norway became an experience which will late be forgotten by those who took share in it. The debut of the year winner mastered the difficult assignment it is to maintain order among 18 actors - and a dog.
For those who have not yet guessed it: The debut of the year winner is Lasse Kolsrud for the adaptation and direction of Songs of the Beehive at The Norwegian Theatre."
Lasse Kolsrud also won The Norwegian Critics' Award for the production.
"As a playwright he has managed to create theatre out of Frode Grytten's eminent collective novel, theatre characterised by a rare solidarity with ordinary people, linked with the insight that among the so-called ordinary people one may find the most insane destines, characters and stories.
As a director he has managed to transfer his vision to a large ensemble, and connected the stage designer's, the musicians' and the whole theatre's many contributions with the text in an artistically coherent performance: A grand, human, warm and vulnerable success.
Such things give faith in the theatre. Such things, not least, give faith in Lasse Kolsrud."
The complete speech can be read at the webpage of Norwegian Critics' Association (link in Norwegian only).
Songs of the Beehive by The Norwegian Theatre was also nominated for The Hedda Award 2004 in the production of the year category.
In addition to being performed at The Norwegian Theatre, Songs of the Beehive has been performed as a visiting performance in Odda, where the action of the play takes place.
At the webpage of The Norwegian Theatre the following, among other things, is written about Songs of the Beehive:
"Songs of the Beehive is based on Frode Grytten's success novel by the same name. When the book came out six years ago it swiftly became an audience winner. Frode Grytten took home the Norwegian literature award Brage and was nominated for The Nordic Council Literature Prize. The novel is compiled by 25 stories, all about the colourful characters living in a concrete building in Odda. Here is the party secretary whose celebration of May 1 gets a wet start as he falls into the water on his way out of a plane, the average Norwegian visited by the TV channel TV2, and the men working at the industry plant.
Lasse Kolsrud is responsible for the adaption and direction
Lasse Kolsrud has processed the material, made a selection of stories and colourful characters and sewn it together into a story for the stage, spicing it up with music. The recurring character is M, fan of The Smiths, a postman who has been fired. Ordinary workers, rich CEOs and odd local originals all have a place in this description of an everyday universe in miniature. The concrete building never rests. Somebody is always awake, and not all can take to be seen in daylight. Songs of the Beehive is a description of lives crossing each other, intersecting, love, friendship, arguments and strange fellows at the industry plant. Or, as Frode Grytten says, in the start of the book: These stories started in experience, but ended someplace in fiction. The book is not a portrait of the real concrete building in Odda, and all similarities to actual persons, living or dead, are purely coincidental.
Songs of the Beehive is Lasse Kolsrud's debut as a director. He is joined by a strong team of 18 actors, giving colour to the life in the industry town in the fjord Sørfjorden. Besides the dog Skipper is part of the ensemble.
The songs of The Smiths also constitute a central part of the performance, performed by a band of three men, led by guitarist Rune Berg. Berg is known as a member of The Margarets, and he, plus bass player/guitarist Per Amund Solberg and percussionist Simen Mæhlum, make up three of five members of Number Seven Deli. During the performance run the three of them have alternated with Børge Sildnes, Helge Kanck and Trond Slåke."
SOURCES:
The Norwegian Theatre, www.detnorsketeatret.no, 23.10.2012, http://www.detnorsketeatret.no/index.php?option=com_play&view=play&playid=279
Sceneweb on The Hedda Award 2004, www.sceneweb.no, 24.10.2012, http://www.sceneweb.no/en/awarding/23869/Heddaprisen_2004-2004
Norwegian Critics' Association, kritikerlaget.no, 29.09.2011, http://www.kritikerlaget.no/pages/nor/12-teaterkritikerprisen_til_lasse_kolsrud
| Name | Role |
|---|---|
| Frode Grytten | – Author |
| Lasse Kolsrud | – Dramatised by |
| Lasse Kolsrud | – Direction |
| Rune Berg | – Musical direction (Elektrisk og akustisk gitar + vokal - alternerte med Børge Sildnes) |
| Børge Sildnes | – Musical direction (Elektrisk og akustisk gitar + vokal - alternerte med Rune Berg) |
| Ola E. Bø | – Dramaturge |
| Cecilia Ölveczky | – Dramaturge |
| Bård Lie Thorbjørnsen | – Stage design |
| Ane Aasheim | – Costume design |
| Benedicte Folkman | – Costume (Kostymekoordinator) |
| Svenn Erik Kristoffersen | – Musical arrangement |
| Jostein Reistad | – Sound design |
| Ola Erik Blæsterdalen | – Sound (Lydansvarlig på turné 2013) |
| Ingrid Tønder | – Lighting design |
| Ingrid Bolsø Berdal (from 2004 to 2013) | – Actor (Angel) |
| Espen Reboli Bjerke | – Actor (Martini 2013) |
| Marte Germaine Christensen | – Actor (Hildegun 2013) |
| Anderz Eide | – Actor (Kjakan - alternerte med Pål Sverre Valheim Hagen 2003) |
| Jon Eikemo | – Actor (Gerhardsen) |
| Torgeir Fonnlid | – Actor (Journalisten - alternerte med Thorir Sæmundsson 2003) |
| Ola G. Furuseth | – Actor (Frank - alternerte med Morten Svartveit 2013) |
| Jon Eivind Gullord | – Actor (Fotografen 2003) |
| Pål Sverre Valheim Hagen | – Actor (Kjakan - alternerte med Anderz Eide 2003) |
| Ragnhild Hilt | – Actor (Mor) |
| Unn Vibeke Hol | – Actor (Mor - alternerte med Ragnhild Hilt 2003) |
| Ingrid Jørgensen Dragland | – Actor (Anne - alternerte med Arnhild Litleré 2003) |
| Ingrid Jørgensen Dragland | – Actor (Lilly / Reporteren 2013) |
| Svein Roger Karlsen | – Actor (Harry) |
| Jorunn Kjellsby | – Actor (Ruth - alternerte med Grethe Ryen 2003) |
| Marianne Krogh | – Actor (Lilly 2003) |
| Birgitte Larsen | – Actor (Angel - alternerte med Henriette Steenstrup 2003) |
| Arnhild Litleré | – Actor (Anne - alternerte med Ingrid Jørgensen Dragland 2003) |
| Arnhild Litleré | – Actor (Ruth 2013) |
| Sigurd Myhre | – Actor (Kjakan / Journalisten 2013 ) |
| Hilde Olausson | – Actor (Kari - alternerte med Elisabeth Sand 2003) |
| Tiril Pharo | – Actor (Reporter / Kvinna - alternerte med Kikki Stormo 2003) |
| Håkon Ramstad | – Actor (Frank - alternerte med Sverre Solberg 2003) |
| Grethe Ryen | – Actor (Ruth - alternerte med Jorunn Kjellsby 2003) |
| Anne Ryg | – Actor (Hildegun 2003) |
| Anne Ryg | – Actor (Anne 2013) |
| Hans Rønningen | – Actor (M) |
| Elisabeth Sand | – Actor (Kari - alternerte med Hilde Olausson 2003) |
| Hans Jacob Sand | – Actor (Oddvar 2013) |
| Per Schaanning | – Actor (Partisekretæren + Fotografen i 2013) |
| Yngve Seterås | – Actor (Riksteaterturnéen 2013) |
| Nils Sletta | – Actor (Oddvar 2003) |
| Sverre Solberg | – Actor (Frank - alternerte med Håkon Ramstad 2003) |
| Henriette Steenstrup | – Actor (Angel - alternerte med Birgitte Larsen 2003) |
| Kikki Stormo | – Actor (Reporter / Kvinna - alternerte med Tiril Pharo 2003) |
| Kikki Stormo | – Actor (Kari 2013) |
| Silje Storstein | – Actor (Riksteaterturnéen 2013) |
| Morten Svartveit | – Actor (Frank - alternerte med Ola G. Furuseth 2013) |
| Thorir Sæmundsson | – Actor (Journalisten - alternerte med Torgeir Fonnlid 2003) |
| Oddgeir Thune | – Actor (Frank (alternerte) 2013) |
| Svein Tindberg | – Actor (Martini 2003) |
| Kaia Varjord | – Actor (Angel 2013) |
| Klaus Robert Blomvik | – Musician (Trommer og perkusjon 2013) |
| Helge Kanck | – Musician (Bass og gitar + vokal - alternerte med Per Amund Solberg 2003) |
| Simen Mæhlum | – Musician (Trommer og perkusjon + vokal alternerte med Trond Slåke 2003) |
| Trond Slåke | – Musician (Trommer og perkusjon + vokal alternerte med Simen Mæhlum 2003) |
| Per Amund Solberg | – Musician (Bass og gitar + vokal - alternerte med Helge Kanck 2003) |
| Robert Øien Fylling | – Musician (Bass, tolvstrengs kassegitar og kor 2013) |
| Marit Framstad | – Mask design |
| Mariann Rostad | – Props |
| Pelle Gustavsen | – Stage manager (Riksteatret) |
| Brita Gaarder | – Stage manager |
| John Hughes | – Photo (2013) |
| Lars Vuttudal | – Stage Manager |
| Lars Bleiklie Devik (from 2006) | – Lighting technician |
| Gry Hege Espenes | – Prompter |
| Emnet Kebreab | – Producer (Riksteatret) |
| Herdis Moldøen | – Consultant (Språkkonsulent) |
| April 12, 2013 – Scene 2, Det Norske Teatret, The Norwegian Theatre | New opening |
| 2013 | Tour Premiere |
| September 5, 2003 – Scene 2, Det Norske Teatret, The Norwegian Theatre | Worldwide premiere |
Andreas Wiese, Dagbladet, date unknown:
"This is yet another great, Norwegian effort from The Norwegian Theatre, and it has become a great, warm and vulnerable success."
Writer and date unknown, VG:
"A masterpiece"
Writer and date unknown, Aftenposten:
"Buzzing of humour and warmth"