New Nordic Drama 2016
Celebrating Nordic plays
Six contemporary Nordic plays will be staged and celebrated at New Nordic Drama during 2016 and 2017.
New Nordic Drama is a reading-festival with the purpose of presenting and uniting plays and playwrights from six Nordic countries: Faroe Islands, Denmark, Sweden, Norway, Iceland and Finland. A jury from each represented country has selected their best contemporary play written and staged between January 2014 and December 2015. The selected plays will form the basis of the festival and show a glimpse of the current Nordic drama scene. The plays are:
Faroe Islands – “TÓM RÚM” (Empty Rooms) by Marjun Syderbø Kjelnæs
“The play is universal and relevant for a bigger audience, and has the potential to last as the subject is universal and timeless” (Faroese argument)
Denmark – “SOLI DEO GLORIA” by Peter Asmussen
“The playwright uses a unique linguistic tone and dramaturgical precision that puts him in a master class along with Strindberg, Bergman and Norén” (Danish argument)
Sweden- “PEOPLE RESPECT ME NOW” by Paula Stenström Öhman
“The play really involves the viewer and encourages him or her to take a stance” (Swedish argument)
Norway – “VISNING” (Viewing) by Cecilie Løveid
“In Viewing, Løveid partly abandons the postmodernist position while social relations and power struggles are described tightly and efficiently with exemplary linguistic precision” (Norwegian argument)
Finland – “IHANAT IHMISET” (Lovely People) by Antti Hietala
“Antti Hietala’s Lovely People has been awarded by the Finnish Playwrights and Screenwriters Guild as the best play of the year in Finland” (Finnish argument)
Iceland – “SEGULSVIД (Magnetic) by Sigurð Pálsson
“The play inspires interpretation on the stage in its multi-layered form and its tragicomic and passionate beauty” (Icelandic argument)
A Nordic Collaboration
New Nordic Drama aims to put a greater focus on both new Nordic plays and the playwrights. The festival seeks to strengthen the bond between the Nordic countries and reach a greater audience. New Nordic Drama is a collaboration between twelve Nordic actors, two from each country, and three Nordic directors who will be staging selections from the plays in durations of half an hour each. The readings will be performed in their original languages supported with English subtitles. New Nordic Drama is supported by The Nordic Culture Fund. The plays will be published in English by the Faroese publishing company SROTIN.
Where and when?
New Nordic Drama premieres in the Faroe Islands May 27th-28th 2016 during the Nordic Performing Arts Days also called DAGARNIR 2016. Hereafter the reading-festival will go on a Nordic tour during 2016/17. The first stop will be at Husets Teater in Denmark June 8th 2016 during the CPH STAGE festival.
If you are have any questions regarding New Nordic Drama please contact:
Marita Svartá maritasvarta@gmail.com or Laura Ramberg – laura@husetsteater.dk – (+45) 27219232
Further information
New Nordic Drama has been developed by the Nordic Performing Arts Network, a board of representatives from the Nordic ITI-centers. Read more about the reading-festival here: www.nordicperformingartsdays.fo
The Nordic juries consist of:
Faroe Islands: Vár Berghamar Jacobsen, Sóley Danielsen and Paula Gaard
Denmark: Mette Garfield, Jakob Højgaard & Christina Wendelboe
Sweden: Lis Hellström Sveningson, Anders Duus, Judit Benedek and Birgit Hageby
Norway: The Ibsen Award jury
Finland: TINFO – Theatre Info Finland
Iceland: Jórunn Sigurðardóttir, Kristín Ómarsdóttir and Magnús Þór Þorbergsson