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The theatre of Denmark continues to thrive thanks to the many theatres in Copenhagen and across the country which put on a wide variety of Danish and foreign performances. The flagship Royal Danish Theatre presents drama, opera, ballet and music. Since the 18th century, Danish playwrights have been successful in attracting wide public interest.
It was in the 18th century with the plays of Ludvig Holberg (1684–1754) that Danish theatre began to prosper. Holberg, sometimes known as the Danish Molière in view of his successful satirical comedies (1722), is considered to be the founder of the Danish theatre. Plays such as Jean de France and Jeppe of the Hill are still performed today. [1]
Adam Oehlenschläger (1779–1850) introduced romanticism to the Danish theatre. Especially successful was his Earl Hakon the Mighty , premiered in 1808.
The Norwegian Henrik Ibsen (1828–1906) also travelled to Copenhagen where he produced plays such as A Doll's House (1879). It deals with the hypocrisy of the bourgeoisie and a woman’s struggle to emancipate herself. For Ibsen and his contemporaries, drama was not a question of entertainment but an exercise in critical commentary on the lifestyle of the times. [2] During this period, the Royal Theatre dominated the scene, but around 1850 other, to some extent more popular, theatres were established, starting with the Casino (1848) where Hans Christian Andersen produced his Ole Lukøie (1850). The Casino became popular for satirical revues in the 1870s.
In the 20th century, theatres were established in the large cities Århus, Odense and Aalborg as well as several in Copenhagen.
Kjeld Abell (1901–1961), the first Danish modernist playwright, wrote the successful The Melody That Got Lost in 1935 with productions in both Copenhagen and London. Kaj Munk (1898–1944), a Lutheran pastor, brought religion into his plays. Ordet (The Word) is often said to have been his best work. Carl Erik Soya (1896–1983) is remembered especially for his anti-Nazi plays such as En Gæst (A Guest) a satire aimed against the German occupation of Denmark and in 1943, Min Farmors Hus (made into the 1984 film Grandmother's House ).
Leif Panduro (1923–1977) wrote a number of plays, some filmed or televised, criticising the middle class, the welfare state and the conflict between normal and abnormal, often questioning the views generally shared by the audience. His I Adams verden (1973) and Louises hus (1974) are among the best Scandinavian television dramas of the 1970s. [3]
In recent years, there has been something of a revival in Danish theatre. Many new playwrights and producers have appeared. These include:
Encouraged by the success of the Danish version of Les Misérables , a number of Danish musicals have been written and performed in Copenhagen and elsewhere. Knud Christensen, commonly known as Sebastian, was particularly successful with Cyrano (1992), based on Rostand's play and Klokkeren fra Notre Dame (The Hunchback of Notre Dame) (2001). Bent Fabricius-Bjerre's musical Matador with lyrics by Clemens Telling based on an earlier, highly successful television series was premiered at the new Copenhagen Opera in June 2007 to full houses. [4]
Henrik Johan Ibsen was a Norwegian playwright and theatre director. As one of the founders of modernism in theatre, Ibsen is often referred to as "the father of realism" and one of the most influential playwrights of his time, as well of one of the most influential playwrights in Western literature more generally. His major works include Brand, Peer Gynt, Emperor and Galilean, A Doll's House, Ghosts, An Enemy of the People, The Wild Duck, Rosmersholm, Hedda Gabler, The Master Builder, and When We Dead Awaken. Ibsen is the most frequently performed dramatist in the world after Shakespeare, and A Doll's House was the world's most performed play in 2006.
Ludvig Holberg, Baron of Holberg was a writer, essayist, philosopher, historian and playwright born in Bergen, Norway, during the time of the Dano–Norwegian dual monarchy. He was influenced by Humanism, the Enlightenment and the Baroque. Holberg is considered the founder of modern Danish and Norwegian literature. He was also a prominent Neo-Latin author, known across Europe for his writing. He is best known for the comedies he wrote in 1722–1723 for the Lille Grønnegade Theatre in Copenhagen. Holberg's works about natural and common law were widely read by many Danish law students over two hundred years, from 1736 to 1936.
The culture of Denmark has a rich artistic and scientific heritage. The fairy tales of Hans Christian Andersen (1805–1875), the philosophical essays of Søren Kierkegaard (1813–1855), the short stories of Karen Blixen, penname Isak Dinesen, (1885–1962), the plays of Ludvig Holberg (1684–1754), modern authors such as Herman Bang and Nobel laureate Henrik Pontoppidan and the dense, aphoristic poetry of Piet Hein (1905–1996), have earned international recognition, as have the symphonies of Carl Nielsen (1865–1931). From the mid-1990s, Danish films have attracted international attention, especially those associated with Dogme 95 like those of Lars Von Trier. Denmark has had a strong tradition of movie making and Carl Theodor Dreyer has been recognised as one of the world's greatest film directors. The astronomical discoveries of Tycho Brahe (1546–1601), Ludwig A. Colding's (1815–1888) neglected articulation of the principle of conservation of energy, and the foundational contributions to atomic physics of Niels Bohr (1885–1962); in this century Lene Vestergaard Hau in quantum physics involving the stopping of light, advances in nano-technology, and contributions to the understanding of Bose-Einstein Condensates, demonstrate the range and endurance of Danish scientific achievement.
The earliest traces of Danish music go back to the many twisting Bronze-Age horns or lurs which some experts have identified as musical instruments. They have been discovered in various parts of Scandinavia, mostly Denmark, since the end of the 18th century. Denmark's most famous classical composer is Carl Nielsen, especially remembered for his six symphonies, while the Royal Danish Ballet specializes in the work of Danish choreographer August Bournonville. Danes have distinguished themselves as jazz musicians, and the Copenhagen Jazz Festival has acquired an international reputation. The modern pop and rock scene has produced a few names of note, including MØ, Dizzy Mizz Lizzy, Lukas Graham, D-A-D, Tina Dico, Aqua, The Raveonettes, Michael Learns to Rock, Volbeat, Alphabeat, Safri Duo, Medina, Oh Land, Kashmir, King Diamond, Outlandish, and Mew. Lars Ulrich is the first Danish musician to be inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.
Johanne Luise Heiberg was a Danish actress of the 19th century. She is most famous for her work at the Royal Theatre in Copenhagen, where she achieved great success. Though she was closely connected to the romantic tradition, Heiberg is still regarded as a key figure of Danish drama. She contributed to the growing public social and moral perception of Danish actors as artists and cultural personalities rather than simply performers.
Danish literature stretches back to the Middle Ages. The earliest preserved texts from Denmark are runic inscriptions on memorial stones and other objects, some of which contain short poems in alliterative verse. In the late 12th century Saxo Grammaticus wrote Gesta Danorum. During the 16th century, the Lutheran Reformation came to Denmark. During this era, Christiern Pedersen translated the New Testament into Danish and Thomas Kingo composed hymns. Fine poetry was created in the early 17th century by Anders Arrebo (1587–1637). The challenges faced during Denmark's absolute monarchy in 1660 are chronicled in Jammersminde by Leonora Christina of the Blue Tower. Ludvig Holberg (1684–1754), influenced by the ideas of the Enlightenment and Humanism, is considered the founder of modern Danish and Norwegian literature. Neoclassical poetry, drama, and the essay flourished during the 18th century influenced by French and English trends. German influence is seen in the verse of the leading poets of the late 18th century such as Johannes Ewald and Jens Baggesen. Other 18th century writers include the hymn writer Hans Adolph Brorson and the satirical poet Johan Herman Wessel.
Leif Thormod Panduro was a Danish writer, novelist, short story writer, and dramatist.
Lisbeth Cathrine Amalie Rose née Böttger was a Danish actress, one of the first professional native actresses in Denmark, and also referred to as the greatest actress in 18th century Denmark. She was also a translator and a playwright.
Carl Erik Soya,, also known by the single appellation Soya, was a Danish author and dramatist. His works were often satirical provocations against double standards and dishonesty. In 1975, Soya received Denmark's foremost literary award, Grand Prize of the Danish Academy.
Anna Magdalene Thoresen, née Kragh was a Danish-born Norwegian poet, novelist, short story writer and playwright. She is said to have inspired a number of other writers to model characters after her. Her stepdaughter, Suzannah Ibsen, was married to Henrik Ibsen. A selection of her letters has been published as Breve fra Magdalene Thoresen 1855-1901.
The Political Tinker is a five-set satirical play published by Norwegian-Danish playwright Ludvig Holberg in 1722.
Theobald Stein was a Danish sculptor. He was a professor at the Royal Danish Academy of Fine Arts and served as its director from 1883 to 1886.
Oda Laurenze Helmine Nielsen née Larsen (1851–1936) was a highly acclaimed Danish actress who performed both in private theatres in Copenhagen and at the Royal Danish Theatre. Inspired by French actresses, she played the roles of attractive young women, for example in the title roles of Frøken Nitouche and Victorien Sardou's Dora. She later took on roles where she sang, imitating the French singer Yvette Guilbert. This increased her popularity not only in Scandinavia but also in the United States where she performed for Danish audiences. One of her favourite roles in later life was Grevinde Danner in Sven Leopold's Hos Grevinden.
The Fidget is a satirical play published by Ludvig Holberg in 1723. It premiered at Lille Grønnegade Theatre in Copenhagen on 25 November 1726.
Gert Westphaler or The Loquacious Barber is a satirical play written by the Norwegian-Danish playwright Ludvig Holberg. It premiered in five sets at the Lille Grønnegade Theatre in Copenhagen on 28 October 1722 but Holberg later adapted it into a one- set version.
Kirsten Olesen is a Danish actress who since 1979 has been with Copenhagen's Royal Danish Theatre. In Denmark, she is known above all for taking the part of Agnes, a housemaid, in the popular television series Matador (1978–1982). Internationally, she has starred in the title role of Lars von Trier's Medea (1988).
Christian Lollike is a Danish playwright, theater director and artistic director of Sort/Hvid in Copenhagen. Lollike is working with stage and installation art in theaters, public areas and virtual platforms. He has made theater, film, musicvideo, opera, dance and art interventions. He often uses current political events in his work.
The statue of Ludvig Holberg by Theobald Stein, together with Herman Wilhelm Bissen's statue of Adam Oehlenschläger, flanks the main entrance to the Royal Danish Theatre on Kongens Nytorv in Copenhagen, Denmark. It was created by Stein in conjunction with the inauguration of Vilhelm Dahlerup's new theatre building in 1875. Bissen's statue of Oehlenschläger is from 1861 and was originally located on Sankt Annæ Plads.
Brigitte Käthe Kolerus (1941–2001) was an Austrian-born Danish actress who performed in films and on television but mainly on stage. After studying at the Odense Teater drama school, she appeared in the musical Man of La Mancha at Ungdommens Teater in 1967 and went on to play Desdemona in Shakespeare's Othello at Det Danske Teater in 1969. She made a name for herself in films by appearing in erotic scenes in Erik Frohn Nielsen's Ekko af et skud in 1970. Kolerus also served as director of Copenhagen's Teatret ved Sorte Hest from 1978 and staged plays and operas at a number of venues.
Christen Niemann Rosenkilde was a Danish actor and writer.