Stolen Thunder

Stolen Thunder (1978) was a theatre production by The Norwegian Touring Theatre, based on a play by Tor Åge Bringsværd. The story was inspired by Trymskvida (Icelandic spelling: Þrymskviða) from The Poetic Edda. It had its world premiere in Dale, Sandnes, and was performed on tour the winter of 1978, the autumn of 1978, and the winter of 1979.

Mona Wiig directed it.

Stolen Thunder was the second production produced by The Norwegian Touring Theatre's puppet theatre.

Information

(Objekt ID 44116)
Object type Production
Premiere April 16, 1978
Produced by The Norwegian Touring Theatre (Riksteatret)
Based on Stolen Thunder: A Romp with Thor among the Trolls by Tor Åge Bringsværd
Audience Children, Youth
Audience size 15120
Number of events 86
Language Norwegian
Keywords Puppetry, Performance for children
Running period April 16, 1978  —  1979
More

Excerpt from Tor Åge Bringsværd's text for the playbill, from April 1978:

"Thor has lost his hammer. He has searched everywhere, but it is and remains gone. He decides to ask Loki for advice, and Loki is willing to help him search for Mjölnir, if he can borrow Freyja's feather suit - and he can. Loki immediately flies to Jotunheim, where he finds out that the jötunn Trym has stolen Thor's hammer. To give the hammer back, Trym demands Freyja as his bride. When Freyja gets to hear this, she furiously denies, and the gods dress Thor in bridal robes, and send him instead. In Jotunheim, Trym sits eager and excited, waiting for his bride. What happens after this, you'll get to know when you see the performance."

SOURCES:

Einar Dahl's private archive, donated by Einar Dahl, 10.11.2014

Mona Wiig. E-mail 10.08.2019

The Norwegian Touring Theatre, playbill from the production

Contributors (19)
Name Role
Tor Åge Bringsværd – Playwright
Mona Wiig – Direction
Bernt Erik Larssen – Instruction (Replikkinstruksjon)
Robert Normann – Music
Alexandru Botez – Stage design
Mona Wiig – Puppetry Design
Knut Alfsen – Puppeteer (Skrotolf (troll) / Loke)
Pål Brantzeg – Puppeteer (Trym (troll))
Marianne Edvardsen – Puppeteer (Gufse (troll) / Urd (norne) / Frøya)
Stein Grønli – Puppeteer (Far / Tor med hammer´n)
Christine Stoesen – Puppeteer (Lille-Tor / 2. trolljente / Verdande (norne))
Anne Stray – Puppeteer (Midgardsormen / 1. trolljente / Skuld (norne))
Erling Ragnar Eriksen – Musician
Mona Wiig – Puppet maker
Jan Erik Svanø – Stage manager
Frits Solvang – Photo
Pål Brantzeg – Technician
Stein Grønli – Tour manager
Mette Møller – Choreogreographic Assistant
Performance dates
Press coverage

Svein Johs. Ottesen, Aftenposten April 17, 1978:

"Mona Wiig has created the puppets and staged a production for The Norwegian Touring Theatre, far from what most people imagine puppetry is - where everything tends to take place inside of a box or behind a wall. Here, it is not hidden that people steer the puppets, and the whole auditorium is used. The puppets aren't small finger puppets, either. The giant Trym is larger than most of the gods, and the humans. An adult may think that such a thing would destroy the illusion for the audience of children. Rather the opposite happens. Children have never thought that puppets weren't puppets, and that puppets are steered by humans, well, that is what the child does on a daily basis."

Erik Pierstorff, Dagbladet April 19, 1978:

"It is funny, and appropriately scary. (...) Rod puppets are used, and part of the point (the way I see it) is that one, to begin with, sees both the puppets and the puppeteers carrying them, and steering their arms - whereas the puppeteers later disappear among the backdrops, and we only see the puppets. Another point it that the production uses a 'real' Thor of sorts as a joint between our world and the mythical world. That is: Little Thor is a puppet, too, but at the same time he is a child who doesn't want to go to bed. When he does, he dreams Trymskvida and (of course!) takes part in his dream."