Artistic Director / Founder Kåre Conradi
In 2009 Kåre Conradi joined the British Shakespeare Company performing in A Midsummer Night’s Dream under the direction of the companies Artistic Director, Robert J Williamson. The two found they shared a creative understanding of theatre and formed a friendship based on mutual respect and a passion for the performing arts.
Kåre often discussed his love for the works of Ibsen and the many great Norwegian actors performing at the National Theatre. He also brought up the idea of creating a new company, and so Robert flew from London to attend a number of shows at the National Theatre, including both Shakespeare and Ibsen. Over the following years the idea also was conceived of a collaborative Ibsen project drawing on the very best of Norwegian and British talent to create a company of actors performing in both countries. This ‘creative-bridge’ between two nations would draw on each nation’s rich theatrical and creative heritage and mutual admiration of Norway’s greatest international playwright, offering British audiences a unique opportunity to witness Norwegian actors performing Ibsen in English and sharing their experience of performing Ibsen in his mother tongue. It is also the ambition of the company to showcase great Norwegian actors and directors on the London stage and through international touring.
In 2012 the non-for-profit Norwegian Ibsen Company was founded to realise these aspirations. This name was chosen with no desire to be boastful, showy or make claims above our station but so audiences outside of Norway would immediately know the company included in large part Norwegian actors and often Norwegian directors.
We begin with a very modest production, a one-man-show Peer Gynt, performed by Kåre Conradi, directed by Robert J Williamson and Norways leading director of Ibsen, Terje Mærli. This wonderful, intimate, storytelling journey through Henrik Ibsen’s Peer Gynt will have its world première at the International Edinburgh Fringe Festival in 2012 before transferring to London and then the National Theatre of Norway for the International Ibsen Festival 2012.
So our creative journey begins in modest fashion but with a full scale production of The Wild Duck planned we hope you will continue to follow and support The Norwegian Ibsen Company’s artistic endeavors.
In 2015 Kåre played Edward IV in Trevor Nunns production of The Wars of The Roses at The Rose Theatre. He just returned from giving talks on Ibsen in Rome and Amalfi. Before that that he finished shooting a Viking series for NRK “Vikingane” and finished a long run as Richard III at The National Theatre in Norway. A role for which he received The Hedda Award for Best Actor 2016.