"Fantastic, merciless satire on the white man's sense of alienation," writes the reviewer after the premiere of the theater piece Torvald, which is ready for the Festspillene. The performance Frida, by former Festspill artist Katrine Strøm, has also been nominated twice for Norway's most prestigious theater award. Additionally, Økohelter, an all-encompassing dance performance for children that zooms in on the small creatures above and below the forest floor, is also nominated.

Especially Good Writers

This year's theater performances are marked by exceptionally good writers who capture the current times in an extremely relevant way. There will be war stories played out in a Nazi headquarters, a triple meeting with an award-winning puppet theater company about the state of the Earth, a modern single version of Torvald approaching fifty, and the stage as a social arena for exploring belonging, community, and our cultural future.

Satire of a Man in Midlife Crisis

Former young artist Ibrahim Fazlic, who has achieved great national success with his performances in recent years, has been a resident playwright at Dramatikkens hus. This spring, he premiered the play Torvald, about a middle-aged man in midlife crisis, based on the character from A Doll's House, set in the present day."

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Outstanding

The play opens up for a broader understanding of the man's place in today's society, why toxic male cultures online are so popular, and why men's suicide rates are dramatically higher than women's. It is a highly relevant topic, and the reviewers have been very positive about the play, which showcases all the nuances of the male figure. "The result is outstanding," writes the reviewer from Subjekt, for instance.

Always Delivers Top Quality

Recently, it was also announced that the play Frida, which is for slightly older children, is nominated for two Hedda Awards. The award is given annually in various categories for outstanding achievements in Norwegian performing arts.
– We know that Katrine Strøm always delivers top quality, and now both she as a director and the play are nominated in the category of best children's performance.
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Dance for Children

Økohelter is also nominated for the best children's performance, so two out of three are coming to the Festspillene. This further supports our focus on quality performances for children. We believe that good art and cultural experiences last a lifetime and are important for the younger generation. Therefore, all performances at the Children's Festspill are free for children, thanks to Samfunnsløftet.
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Other Nominees

They are not the only plays this year to receive honor and acclaim. Almenrausch, the play by Tore Vagn Lid that deals with the largest raid against the Norwegian resistance movement during World War II, previously received the Hedda Award for Event of the Year and was also nominated for the Ibsen Award for Best Drama. The play "Floating Mirror" was nominated for the Critics' Award in 2022, and the award-winning Wakka Wakka is world-renowned for its lavish and entertaining puppet theater performances for youth and adults.

During the Festspillene, you can experience a lot of theater and dance. Here are some of them:

Dead as a Dodo, The Immortal Jellyfish Girl, and Animal R.I.O.T. – If you've seen one, you'll want to see them all. A unique opportunity to experience three performances with the award-winning puppet theater company Wakka Wakka.
ALMENRAUSCH - A (Sam)hearing by Tore Vagn Lid – A critically acclaimed play about the resistance movement.
Torvald – A masculine mancave monologue from a middle-aged man in midlife crisis.
Meeting with the Trigger System – Prelude to Tore Vagn Lid's new drama, "The Trigger System".
Abundance – Liv Hanne Haugen and Lawrence Malstaf in collaboration with various artists.
Opening Performance: RÆKVED – Dance company Kartellet and string players from the Arctic Philharmonic.
Young Art: CMOS Retina – A young art project by dance artist Oliver Paulsson.
Blood Club – Stage art as a social arena for exploring belonging, community, and our cultural future.
Floating Mirror – Experienced stage artists in a highly personal improvisation-based performance.
Landmarks – Artist Bianca Hisse explores borders, connections, and similarities.
Fortune Seekers – An Eritrean coffee ceremony with personal stories about the search for happiness.
New North Academy – Challenges traditional notions of the North.
Nordting Guerrilla – A mobile people's assembly that challenges boundaries and sparks engagement.
Sigrid's Saga aboard Anna Rogde – Viking history through the eyes of Sigrid Skjalgsdatter.
NUK Viewing: Hip-hop and Theater – Youth from the North showcase their talents.
Økohelter – An all-encompassing dance performance for children, zooming in on the small creatures above and below the forest floor.

Se hele programmet her.