Folketeateret is a

theatre Theatre or theater is a collaborative form of performing art that uses live performers, usually actors to present experiences of a real or imagined event before a live audience in a specific place, often a Stage (theatre), stage. The performe ...

Oslo Oslo ( or ; ) is the capital and most populous city of Norway. It constitutes both a county and a municipality. The municipality of Oslo had a population of in 2022, while the city's greater urban area had a population of 1,064,235 in 2022 ...

, Norway. The building has been used as a movie theatre and as an opera house. The theatre has 1,400 seats.

History

The theatre itself operated from 1952 to 1959, but the institution has a much longer history. Inspired by the Freie Deutsche Volksbühne in

Berlin Berlin ( ; ) is the Capital of Germany, capital and largest city of Germany, by both area and List of cities in Germany by population, population. With 3.7 million inhabitants, it has the List of cities in the European Union by population withi ...

led to forming of interest organizations in

Bergen Bergen (, ) is a city and municipalities of Norway, municipality in Vestland county on the Western Norway, west coast of Norway. Bergen is the list of towns and cities in Norway, second-largest city in Norway after the capital Oslo. By May 20 ...

and Oslo in 1928 and 1929. The idea to establish a good theater for the working class. The ''Folketeatret'' building in Oslo was commissioned in 1929, and the architects Christian Morgenstierne (1880–1967) and Arne Eide (1881–1957) worked on it until it opened in 1935. For financial reasons, a theatre did not open immediately, but a

movie theatre A movie theater (American English) or cinema (English in the Commonwealth of Nations, Commonwealth English), also known as a movie house, cinema hall, picture house, picture theater, the movies, the pictures, or simply theater, is a business ...

was operated. The first theatre performance happened in 1952. Hans Jacob Nilsen (1897–1957) was the theatre director from 1952 to 1955, then

Jens Gunderssen Jens Gunderssen (19 May 1912 – 11 December 1969) was a Norwegian singer, songwriter, actor, stage producer and theatre director. Early and personal life Gunderssen was born in Drammen, as son of Karl Gunderssen and Ågot Uhl. His father wa ...

(1912–1969) from 1955 to 1959. In 1959 the finances were too poor to continue as an independent theatre. ''Folketeatret'' was merged with

Det Nye Teater Det Nye Teater was a theatre that opened in Oslo, Norway, in 1929, and operated independently until 1959, when it merged with Folketeatret to form Oslo Nye Teater. Its original purpose was to support contemporary Norwegian drama. History The ...

to form

Oslo Nye Teater Oslo Nye Teater is a theater in Oslo, Norway. Its main venue is located at Rosenkrantz' gate 10, and the company is wholly owned by Oslo Municipality. History The establishment opened as Det Nye Teater Det Nye Teater was a theatre that ope ...

, although it continued operation in ''Folketeatret'''s building. From 1959 to 2008 the building was shared with the

Norwegian National Opera The Norwegian National Opera and Ballet () is a Norwegian opera company and ballet company. The first fully professional company each for opera and ballet in Norway and the only such professional organisation in the country, it is currently resi ...

. Stage production company Scenekvelder has been active to theater productions at the theatre in recent years. In 2013, Scenekvelder put up the production of the musical '' Annie''. In 2014, Scenekvelder produces the first production of ''

Billy Elliot The Musical ''Billy Elliot: The Musical'' is a Coming-of-age story, coming-of-age stage musical based on the Billy Elliot, 2000 film of the same name. The music is by Elton John, and the book and lyrics are by Lee Hall (playwright), Lee Hall, who wrote th ...

'' at Folketeateret. In 2015, Scenekvelder produces the replica version of''

Mary Poppins Mary Poppins may refer to: * Mary Poppins (character), a nanny with magical powers * Mary Poppins (franchise), based on the fictional nanny ** Mary Poppins (book series), ''Mary Poppins'' (book series), the original 1934–1988 children's fanta ...

''. In 2016, Scenekvelder set up the production of ''

Singin' in the Rain ''Singin' in the Rain'' is a 1952 American musical romantic comedy film directed and choreographed by Gene Kelly and Stanley Donen, starring Kelly, Donald O'Connor and Debbie Reynolds, and featuring Jean Hagen, Millard Mitchell, Rita Moreno a ...

''. In 2017, Scenekvelder set up the production of ''

Les Misérables ''Les Misérables'' (, ) is a 19th-century French literature, French Epic (genre), epic historical fiction, historical novel by Victor Hugo, first published on 31 March 1862, that is considered one of the greatest novels of the 19th century. '' ...

''. In the fall of 2018, Scenekvelder set up the production of ''

The Phantom of the Opera The Phantom of the Opera may refer to: Novel * The Phantom of the Opera (novel), ''The Phantom of the Opera'' (novel), 1910 novel by Gaston Leroux Characters * Erik (The Phantom of the Opera), Erik (''The Phantom of the Opera''), the title char ...

'', directed by Stephen Barlow.

References

Other sources *Næss, Trine ''Mellomkrigstidens teater i den norske hovedstaden'' (Solum. 1994) *Nilsen, Sidsel Marie ''Helst mot urolig vær: Teatermannen Hans Jacob Nilsen'' (Aschehoug. 1997)

External links

Folketeateret official website
Theatres in Oslo Cinemas in Norway Opera houses in Norway 1952 establishments in Norway 1959 disestablishments in Norway 1935 establishments in Norway Theatres completed in 1935 Theatres completed in 1952 {{Norway-theat-struct-stub