The Tempest

The Tempest (1999) was a puppetry theatre production by Oslo Nye Teater (Oslo New Theatre), based on the play by William Shakespeare. The production was performed at the theatre's puppet theatre in Oslo City Museum in Frogner.

Barthold Halle directed it.

Per Skjølsvik played the role of Prospero.

Marianne Edvardsen played the role of Miranda.

Information

(Objekt ID 21825)
Object type Production
Premiere September 24, 1999
Produced by Oslo Nye Teater (Oslo New Theatre)
Based on The Tempest by William Shakespeare
Audience Adults, Youth
Language Norwegian
Keywords Theatre, Puppetry, Drama
Running period September 24, 1999  
More

In the playbill, the head of the theatre, Kjetil Bang-Hansen, wrote the following:

"The Tempest is likely Shakespeare's last play. His farewell to the theatre. The wizard breaks his wand, leaves the stage and withdraws, to reality.

It is a play filled with poetry, melancholy, cruelty and magic. And if there is a Shakespeare play suitable for puppetry, this must be it. On Prospero's island (Prospero is a wizard and the legitimate duke of Milan, Sceneweb's comment), air spirits and earthly spirits live side by side. Here are humans in all the puppets."

Barthold Halle wrote the following in the playbill:

"We have thought of Prospero as a kind of self-portrait, and Prospero's island is the theatre. The bard looks back at themes he has been through at an earlier time: The destructive effect of power on the one in power, the ever-new possibilities of pure love, the humour and force and dirt among common people. It is as if he says: 'I know all about this, I know my art and I am rightly famous, but in the perspective of eternity, this is strangely insignificant'. 

We perform The Tempest with puppets, and it fits our reading of the play. The puppets really come into being the moment they are put in motion, used by their lord and master."

SOURCE:

Oslo Nye Teater (Oslo New Theatre)'s repertoire database. Donated by Oslo Nye Teater (Oslo New Theatre). Imported to the Sceneweb database 11.09.2011

Oslo Nye Teater (Oslo New Theatre). Playbill from the production The Tempest

Performance dates
September 24, 1999Oslo Nye Dukketeatret, Oslo Nye Teater (Oslo New Theatre) Opening night