The Dance of Death
The Dance of Death was a theatre production by The Norwegian Theatre, produced in 2012 and based on the play by August Strindberg. The production was performed in the theatre's venue Scene 3.
Sigrid Strøm Reibo directed it.
Paul Ottar Haga was nominated for The Hedda Award in the best leading actor category for his role as Edgar in The Dance of Death.
Ingrid Jørgensen Dragland played the role of Alice.
Information
(Objekt ID 34736)| Object type | Production |
| Premiere | September 20, 2012 |
| Produced by | The Norwegian Theatre |
| Based on | The Dance of Death by August Strindberg |
| Audience | Adults |
| Audience size | 1358 |
| Number of events | 20 |
| Language | Norwegian Nynorsk |
| Keywords | Theatre, Drama |
| Running period | September 20, 2012 — Navember 3, 2012 |
| Duration | 2 hours, 30 minutes, including an interval |
| Website | DET NORSKE TEATRET |
"The married Alice and Edgar are soon to celebrate their silver anniversary, and after 25 years they are into the habit of harassing one another. The rigid artillery captain and his wife live isolated on their fortress island, but when their friend Kurt comes to visit, the battle of life and death starts over again.
This year (2012, Sceneweb's comment) 100 years have passed since the great Swedish dramatists August Strindberg died. Many of his plays find their themes in his own tempestuous life and his complicated relationship to women.
(...)
Strindberg is counted as the greatest Swedish poet. He grew up in Stockholm as the son of a merchant. After a short stay to study in Uppsala, for a while he made a living as an insurance agent, an extra and a journalist. At the time he published his first play, The Free Thinker. In the years to follow the one-act play The Outlaw and Master Olof came along. He had no success with these early plays, so he turned to the novel. Strindberg won fame with The Red Room, a realist description of Swedish society. After several novels he returned to drama. In 1887 came The Father and in 1888 Miss Julie.
In his prologue for Miss Julie Strindberg made himself a spokesman for naturalist, intimate theatre. In these naturalist plays he put the emphasis on description of the relationships between man and woman, and between the different classes. At the time of The Dance of Death in 1900, Strindberg had gotten far in leaving the naturalist program.
In 1898 came the first part of To Damascus, a wandering drama with strong expressionist features. With A Dream Play from 1901 Strindberg launched a brand new drama genre - the dream play. The truth as it seems in the dream is cultivated, not the everyday and photographic. Strindberg becomes more preoccupied with the poetic sides of drama, and the dance he lets play out in The Dance of Death, expresses this will to return to metaphors and the ritual sides of theatre, and, of course: He wanted to let the wild, unconscious and expressive break the surface."
SOURCES:
Repertoire at The Norwegian Theatre 1913-2014. Transferred to Sceneweb 08.09.2015.
The Norwegian Theatre, detnorsketeatret.no, 21.05.2013, http://www.detnorsketeatret.no/index.php?option=com_play&view=play&playid=364
The Hedda Award, heddaprisen.no, 10.06.2013, http://www.heddaprisen.no/pub/heddaprisen/main/?aid=1176
| Name | Role |
|---|---|
| August Strindberg | – Playwright |
| Margunn Vikingstad | – Translation |
| Sigrid Strøm Reibo | – Direction |
| Line Rosvoll | – Dramaturge |
| Paul-Ottar Haga | – Actor (Edgar) |
| Ingrid Jørgensen Dragland | – Actor (Alice) |
| Gard Skagestad | – Actor (Kurt) |
| Hedda Rønneberg | – Stage manager |
| Tryggve Ildahl | – Stage Manager |
| September 20, 2012 – Scene 3 (tidligere Prøvesalen), Det Norske Teatret, The Norwegian Theatre | Opening night |
Writer and date unknown, Vårt Land [Oslo]:
"It is about how we handle each other, about manipulation and power play, unfortunately never outdated."
Writer and date unknown, Dagsavisen [Oslo]:
"Strindberg's total darkness becomes The Norwegian Theatre's Scene 3 surprisingly well."
Writer and date unknown, Klassekampen [Oslo]:
"Gripping dance of death. (…) A strong interpretation with moments of pure theatrical magic. (…) Sparks fly from the interaction between the three, and the way lines are said brilliantly underlines the comedy there also is in the text."
Andreas Wiese, date unknown, Dagbladet [Oslo]:
"This is very good acting, elegantly and surprisingly directed by Sigrid Strøm Reibo. (…) Ingrid Jørgensen Dragland and Paul Ottar Haga perform excellent theatre in a freshly dark version."
Karen Frøsland Nystøyl, NRK Kulturnytt [Oslo]:
"The cold is at times tangible in The Norwegian Theatre's version of August Strindberg's The Dance of Death [...] the best Norwegian Strindberg production in the jubilee year."