Register of Shakespearean Performances in Norway
Kristiania
I. Christiania Theater.
The following record is an excerpt of all the data relating to Shakespeare in T. Blanc: Fortegnelse over alle dramatiske Arbeider, som siden Kristiania Theaters offentlige Aabning den 30 Januar, 1827, har været opførte paa samme af dets Personale indtil 15 Juni 1899. This Fortegnelse is still unpublished. The MS. is quarto No. 940 in the University Library, Kristiania.
| 1. | blind alarm. Skuespil i fem Akter af Shakespeare. (Original Title: Much Ado About Nothing). Translated by Carl Borgaard, from the nineteenth performance, May 18, 1878, under the title Stor Staahei for Ingenting), Oct. 29, 1854, May 26, 1878. 18 times. |
| 2. | coriolanus. Sørgespil i 5 Akter af Shakespeare, bearbeidet for Scenen af H. Lassen. Jan. 21, 1874—Jan. 10, 1876. 13 times. |
| 3. | de muntre koner i windsor. Lystspil i 5 Akter af Shakespeare. (Adapted for the stage by H. Lassen.) May 14, 1873, Nov. 8, 1876. 12 times. |
| 4. | en skjærsommernatsdrøm. Eventyrkomedie i 5 Akter af W. Shakespeare. (Original Title: A Midsummer Night's Dream.) Translated by Oehlenschlæger. Music by Mendelssohn-Bartholdy. April 17, 1865, May 27, 1866. 10 times. |
| 5. | et vintereventyr. Romantisk Skuespil i 5 Akter. Adapted from Shakespeare's A Winter's Tale and Dinglestedt's Ein Wintermärchen by H.P. Holst. Music by Flotow. May 4, 1866, March 21, 1893. 57 times. |
| 6. | hamlet. Tragedie i 5 Akter af W. Shakespeare. Translated by Foersom and Lembcke. March 4, 1870, April 27, 1883. 28 times. |
| 7. | hun maa tæmmes. Lystspil i 4 Akter. Adapted from Shakespeare's Taming of the Shrew. March 21, 1858, April 12, 1881. 28 times. |
| 8. | julius caesar. Tragedie i 5 Akter af William Shakespeare. Translated by H. Lassen. March 22, 1887, April 22, 1887. 16 times. |
| 9. | kjøbmanden i venedig. Skuespil i 5 Akter af Shakespeare. Adapted for the stage from Rahbek's translation. From the eighth performance (Oct. 14, 1874) probably in a new translation by Lembcke. Sept. 17, 1861, June 12, 1882. 23 times. |
| 10. | kong henrik den fjerde. Skuespil i 5 Akter af W. Shakespeare. Adapted by Bjørnstjerne Bjørnson from King Henry IV, Parts 1 and 2 in Lembcke's translation. Feb. 12, 1867, Feb. 8, 1885. 17 times. |
| 11. | kong richard iii. Tragedie i 5 Akter af W. Shakespeare. Translated by Lembcke. May 27, 1877, March 10, 1891. 26 times. |
| 12. | kongens læge. Romantisk Lystspil i 5 Akter efter Shakespeares All's Well That Ends Well. Adapted by Sille Beyer. From the thirteenth performance (May 23, 1869) given under the title Naar Enden er god er Alting godt in a new translation by Edvard Lembcke. Jan. 5, 1854, Jan. 24, 1882. 20 times. |
| 13. | livet i skoven. Romantisk Lystspil i 4 Akter efter Shakespeares As You Like It. Adapted by Sille Beyer. Dec. 9, 1852, Sept. 25, 1878. 19 times. |
| 14. | macbeth. Tragedie i 5 Akter af W. Shakespeare. Schiller's version translated by Peter Foersom. Music by Weyse. July 28, 1844, Jan. 6, 1896. 37 times. |
| 15. | othello, moren af venedig. Tragedie i 5 Akter af Shakespeare. Translated by P.L. Wulff. Jan. 3, 1845, March 10, 1872. 10 times. |
| 16. | romeo og julie. Tragedie i 5 Akter af W. Shakespeare. Translated by P. Foersom and A.E. Boye. From the sixth performance (April 4, 1880) probably in a new translation by Lembcke. Nov. 11, 1852, July 12, 1899. 42 times. |
| 17. | viola. Lystspil i 5 Akter efter Shakespeare's Twelfth Night. Translated and adapted by Sille Beyer. From the thirteenth performance (Jan. 21, 1890) under the title Helligtrekongersaften, eller hvad man vil. (In Lembcke's translation with music by Catherinus Elling.) Nov. 20, 1860, May 31, 1891. 30 times. |
II. Nationaltheatret.
The record of the Shakespearean performances at Nationaltheatret has been compiled from the summary of performances given in the decade 1899-1909 contained in Beretning om Nationaltheatrets Virksomhed i Aaret 1909-1910. Kristiania, 1910. The record of performances subsequent to 1910, as well as the date of the first performances of all plays, has been found in the Journal of the theater.
| 1. | helligtrekongersaften. (Twelfth Night). Oct. 5, 1899. 10 times. |
| 2. | trold kan tæmmes. (The Taming of the Shrew.) Dec. 26, 1900. 35 times. |
| 3. | en sommernats dröm. (A Midsummer Night's Dream) Jan. 15, 1903. 20 times. |
| 4. | kjöbmanden i venedig. (The Merchant of Venice) Sept. 5, 1906. 20 times. |
| 5. | hamlet. Oct. 31, 1907. 17 times. |
| 6. | othello. Oct. 22, 1908. 12 times. |
| 7. | henry iv. Feb. 10, 1910. 10 times. |
| 8. | as you like it. Nov. 7, 1912. This play was still being given when the investigation ceased. Ten performances had been given. |
Bergen
I. The First Theater in Bergen (1850-1863)
The information relating to Shakespeare at the old theater is gathered from T. Blanc: Norges første nationale Scene. Bergen 1850-1863. Et Bidrag til den norske dramatiske Kunsts Historie. Kristiania, 1884.
| 1. | livet i skoven. Romantisk Skuespil i 4 Akter efter Shakespeares As You Like It. Adapted by Sille Beyer. Sept. 30 and Oct. 9, 1855. 2 times. |
| 2. | viola. Lystspil i 5 Akter efter Deinhardsteins Bearbeidelse af Shakespeares What You Will. Adapted by Sille Beyer. July 17 and 18, 1861. 2 times. |
II. The New Theater at Bergen (1876)
The following data have been communicated to me by Hr. Christian Landal, of the theater at Bergen. They have been compiled from the Journal (Spillejournal) of the theater.
| 1. | kjöbmanden i venedig (The Merchant of Venice) Oct. 9, 11, 13, 1878. Friday, June 18, 1880, the Shylock scenes, with Emil Paulsen (of the Royal Theater in Copenhagen) as guest. 4 times. |
| 2. | et vintereventyr. (A Winter's Tale) April 19, 21, 25, 26, 28, 1880; May 9, 1880; Nov. 28, 29, 1889; Oct. 5, 6, 8, 10, 12, 13, 15, 17, 20, 1902. 18 times. |
| 3. | othello. Nov. 13, 16, 18, 28, 1881. 4 times. |
| 4. | hamlet. Nov. 28 and 29; Dec. 1, 5, 19, 1886. The Ophelia scenes from Act 4 with Ida Falberg Kiachas as guest. Sept. 12, 14, 16, 21, 1883. Guest performance by August Lindberg and his Swedish company. Nov. 15, 1895. 10 times. |
| 5. | helligtrekongersaften. (Twelfth Night) in Lembcke's translation. Oct. 9, 12, 14, 16, 1892; April 23, 1893 in Stavanger. 5 times. |
| 6. | romeo og julie. May 12, 16, 19, 27, 1897. 4 times. |
SUMMARY
There have been played in Christiania seventeen plays of Shakespeare's with a total of 540 performances. In Bergen seven Shakespearean plays have been played with a total of 49 performances.