Little Eyolf

Little Eyolf (2014) was a theatre production by The National Theatre, based on the play by Henrik Ibsen. The premiere took place at The National Theatre's venue Amfiscenen, The Amphi Stage, during The Ibsen Festival 2014.

Sofia Jupither directed it.

Pia Tjelta played the role of Rita Allmers.

Kåre Conradi played the role of Alfred Allmers.

The production was revived in 2017, and visited The Print Room at The Coronet in Notting Hill, London, from April 19 to April 21 2018.

Information

(Objekt ID 40892)
Object type Production
Premiere September 9, 2014
Produced by The National Theatre
Based on Little Eyolf by Henrik Ibsen
Audience Adults
Language Norwegian
Keywords Theatre, Drama
Running period September 9, 2014  
Website Nationaltheatret
More

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

"We all seem to be concerned with how we relate to our children, but have we forgotten what it really means? Does the facade matter too much? Do we neglect the importance of just being there?

These are the questions director Sofia Jupither poses in Little Eyolf. She has dreamed of staging it for years - and now that this dream has come true, she once again she demonstrates her insight into the world of children.

Eyolf is an unseen child. As a baby, he fell from the changing table because his parents, Rita and Alfred, were more concerned with each other than with his safety. In most productions, the emotional warfare between Rita and Alfred is the focus of the play. In Jupither's version, though, Eyolf is the protagonist. Little Eyolf drowns, and Rita and Alfred - played by Pia Tjelta and Kåre Conradi - do not see what they had until they have lost it.

Of all of Ibsen's plays, Little Eyolf is the one least influenced by the surrounding community. There are no telegrams in locked mailboxes and there is no syphilis; there is only a reference to a steamer. The story is easy to adapt to our own time. The story of the vulnerable child speaks as just as strongly to us today. Ibsen's people belong to our time."

Little Eyolf is one of The National Theatre's own productions performed during The Ibsen Festival 2014.

SOURCES:

The National Theatre, program for The Ibsen Festival 2014, http://www.nationaltheatret.no/Her+er+programmet!.b7C_wRnG5W.ips

The National Theatre on Little Eyolf, http://www.nationaltheatret.no/?module=Articles&action=Article.publicOpen&id=5107

The National Library of Norway, digitised performance program transferred to Sceneweb 13.08.2015

The National Theatre, fdb.nationaltheatret.no, 21.04.2017,  http://forest.nationaltheatret.no/Productions/EventSeries/877c0cb3-3327-4218-a16f-ac0419d0e219?event_id=ef262402-aa3d-465c-a387-554c5786db66

The National Theatre, fdb.nationaltheatret.no, 24.04.2018, http://forest.nationaltheatret.no/Productions/EventSeries/a48b6a01-7c38-4b4a-a2be-5bb69fad2086?event_id=ac985371-febc-42b3-8bef-5e841e3460ac 

Performance dates
May 24, 2019Hovedscenen, Nationaltheatret, The National Theatre New opening
August 29, 2017Amfiscenen, Nationaltheatret, The National Theatre New opening
September 9, 2014Amfiscenen, Nationaltheatret, The National Theatre Opening night
Festivals (1)
The Ibsen Festival September 9, 2014