The People of Hellemyr
The People of Hellemyr was a two-part theatre production produced by The National Stage, in collaboration with Teatergruppen Fotfolket AKA Frigruppen Fotfolket.
The productions was based on the four volume novel The People of Hellemyr by Amalie Skram and it was performed in two parts titled Arven* (The Inheritance) and Avkom* (Offspring). Gunnar Staalesen adapted the literary work for The National Stage.
*Not yet translated into English. The title within parentheses is the Norwegian title's literal meaning.
Information
(Objekt ID 6873)| Object type | Production |
| Premiere | May 22, 1992 |
| Produced by | The National Stage, Teatergruppen Fotfolket |
| In collaboration with | Bergen International Festival |
| Based on | The People of Hellemyr by Amalie Skram |
| Audience | Adults |
| Audience size | 36000 |
| Number of events | 107 |
| Language | Norwegian |
| Keywords | Theatre, Drama |
| Running period | May 22, 1992 — February 1993 |
The work on adapting Amalie Skram's The People of Hellemyr for the theatre was a long process for The National Stage.
After several years of reading of the work and development of a synopsis, the adapting process took place from 1988 to 1990. May 23 1992, during Bergen International Festival, the production had its world wide premiere at The National Stage, performed in two parts, Arven* (The Inheritance) and Avkom* (Offspring), totalling eight and a half hours. At the same time the publisher Gyldendal released Arven. Fra sceneversjonen av Amalie Skrams Hellemyrsfolket* (The Inheritance. From the stage version of Amalie Skram's The People of Hellemyr) (1992).
In this book the working process behind the production was documented through a thorough preface, a short excerpt from the first version of the adaption and a longer excerpt from the final version.
Bentein Baardson directed the production at The National Stage, which became an enormous audience success. With a prolonged run it went from May 1992 until the end of February 1993, when it had to close for the sake of upcoming productions.
SOURCES:
E-mail from Rogeir Heimstad, 16.09.2012
The National Stage's repertoire database, donated by The National Stage, 24.06.2016
*Not yet translated into English. The title within parentheses is the Norwegian title's literal meaning.
| Name | Role |
|---|---|
| Amalie Skram | – Author |
| Bentein Baardson | – Adapted by |
| Bodil Kvamme | – Adapted by |
| Gunnar Staalesen | – Dramatised by |
| Bentein Baardson | – Direction |
| Hilde Sol Erdal | – Choreography |
| Guttorm Guttormsen | – Music |
| Åse Hegrenes | – Stage design |
| Åse Hegrenes | – Costume design |
| Merete Armand | – Actor (Oline Småfylla) |
| Jon Ketil Johnsen | – Actor (Sivert) |
| Lothar Lindtner | – Actor |
| Unni Kristin Skagestad | – Actor (Lydia Munthe) |
| Håkan Hede | – Mask design |
| Rogeir Heimstad | – Technical director |
| Line Rosvoll | – Director’s assistant |
| Mona Vikøren | – Costume assistant |
| May 22, 1992 – BIT Teatergarasjen (Bergen International Festival) | Worldwide premiere |
| Bergen International Festival | May 22, 1992 |
Sissel Hamre Dagsland, Bergens Tidende [Bergen]:
"The giant project the people of The National Stage have talked about and struggled with for many years has ended in a triumphant journey of about nine hours, and with this a significant piece of theatre history in this country is written."
IdaLou Larsen, Nationen [Oslo]:
"Let it be said at once: The People of Hellemyr is a great and giving theatre experience. This opinion is shared by the opening audience. There was no doubt the delight in the eight hour long performance was spontaneous and real. (...) A theatre experience I will remember for a long time."
Emil Otto Syversen, Fædrelandsvennen:
"The most important theatre event of the year (...) If nothing but The People of Hellemyr was on the Bergen International Festival program this year, it would alone be worth the trip to Bergen. The eight hour long marathon performance makes a deep impression, poses important questions and provides some wise answers."
Martin Nordvik, Adresseavisen [Trondheim]:
"The great emphasis on Amalie Skram's novels as drama material has ended in an impressive result. The production towers in more than one way, condensing four books into one marathon experience. The adaption and presentation represent theatre work justifying the megalomania behind the project."
Hans Rossiné, Dagbladet [Oslo]:
"The People of Hellemyr is grandioso theatre in its broad-mannered storytelling, as a visual sight and with its almost religious basal tone. This is theatre managing to make human relations transparent."
Astrid Sletbakk, Verdens Gang [Oslo]:
"Greater theatre Norway has never seen. The theatre version of Amalie Skram's The People of Hellemyr breaks all records with its length of ten hours, a stage as wide as a workshop hall and a cast of 72 persons. (…) First and foremost The People of Hellemyr is a formidable and daring theatre construction. The structure, the adaption of this quantitative and qualitative literary epic is solid all the way through. Gunnar Staalesen maintains the acerbic basal tone of Skram, and he is fateful to the agility of the language. His own contribution to the structure is a confident dramatic sense for condensed storytelling techniques, focusing the issues and bringing the action forward."