Three-headed trolls
From the production From Peer Gynt (1978), The Norwegian Touring Theatre
In 1978, The Norwegian Touring Theatre marked the 150th anniversary of the birth of Henrik Ibsen (1828) with the production Peer Gynt, performed with puppets, masks and actors. Margareta Niculescu directed the production, and the stage design and puppet design were made by Elisabeta (Ella) Conovici. The production had its premiere at Lillehammer November 1, 1978. The target group included both adults and youth.
The three-headed trolls were puppets in the hall of The Old Man of the Dovre.
Information
(Objekt ID 105955)| Object type | Puppet |
| Production date | Navember 1, 1978 |
| Category | Humanette |
| Size | Approximately 185 centimetres tall |
| License | The Norwegian Touring Theatre. Copyright. |
Teaterfigur
Teaterfigurer, bedre kjent som teaterdukker, har spilt på norske scener i generasjoner, til stor glede for publikum i alle aldersgrupper.
Three-headed trolls were played by Knut Alfsen and Christine Stoesen.
Sceneweb refers to the other puppets registered from the production Peer Gynt. These are Peer Gynt, Mother Aase, The green-clad woman, The Old Man of the Dovre, The Button Moulder and the passenger.
SOURCES:
Mona Wiig's private archive
The Norwegian Touring Theatre's archive, playbill from the production
Donated by: The Norwegian Touring Theatre. Mona Wiig.
Transported 02.11.2019.
The heads of the three-headed trolls were cut from Styrofoam and fortified with cotton gauze or paper plus glue, after which they were painted. The faces were white. The heads were shaped more or less like caricatured pig heads, one large and two smaller. Pars of the chests and stomachs were visible on the puppets. These were also made from Styrofoam, and fortified in the same way as the heads. In this production, burlap was much used in costumes, and that was also the case for the trolls. In addition to burlap, gauze and hemp were used for hair.
The trolls were constructed as humanettes, with a pig head placed on top of the puppeteer's head, and with the puppeteer inside of a large, wide and long cape. The other two pig heads were held in the puppeteer's hands, and could be moved pretty freely. The challenge with these humanettes was the sight through the fabric. A field to see through was marked. The puppeteers could use their whole bodies in giving a physical expression to the trolls, but at the same time, they had to balance large heads on top of their own.
| Elisabeta Georgeta Conovici (person) | – Stage designer, Designer |
| The Norwegian Touring Theatre (Riksteatret) (organization) | – Creator |
| Teatrul Tandarica (organization) | – Creator |
| Peer Gynt (production) | – Humanette |