Eline Arbo brings Norwegian writer Arne Lygre's Time for Joy to the Dutch stage for the first time
Internationaal Theater Amsterdam announces a new production, Time for Joy, which will premiere before the summer. ‘The past period has made us realize that we want to celebrate togetherness and make theatre in its purest form,’ says artistic director and director Eline Arbo. With Time for Joy, a 2020 play by Norwegian writer Arne Lygre, ITA highlights all the exceptional talent within the walls of the Stadsschouwburg on Leidseplein. ‘It is our artistic response to the past time period.’
Time for Joy (Tid for glede, 2020) by Norwegian writer Arne Lygre leaves no one untouched. In two acts, it explores relationships, patterns, and the longing for togetherness, despite the burden of pain and loss. Time for Joy is a comedic, sometimes absurdist, yet deeply emotional play that gently compels us to reflect on who we are to one another, on loneliness, loss, and our relentless pursuit of happiness.
Eline Arbo: "Time for Joy is an extraordinarily beautiful play about the search for connection and how difficult that can sometimes be. I can think of no better moment, no greater need, to create this production than right now. In a time when we struggle with feelings of alienation, we seek meaning through our connections with others—not only in the world around us but also much closer to home. As a company, as a theatre, we have been searching for new shared values and have rediscovered our desire to return to what theatre means to us: an exercise in empathy. Deeply rooted in this house, created with all the talent both in front of and behind the scenes, we bring Time for Joy to life. An unmistakable ITA sound, theatre in its purest form; our celebration of togetherness."Arne Lygre
Norwegian playwright and novelist Arne Lygre (1968) is acclaimed for his minimalist, emotionally intelligent, and profoundly human works. Through his distinctive writing style, he dissects the banality of life. With sharp, witty, recognisable, and at times outright humorous dialogues, he captures the intensity of our fears, desires, loneliness, loss, and freedom. His plays often take place in an undefined time and space, highlighting the universality of our existence. They explore the individual as part of a larger whole, influenced by a network of lives that continually intersect.
Lygre wrote Tid for glede in 2020, and since then, the play has been staged only three times—with great success: at Det Norske Teatret in Oslo in 2021 and at Odéon-Théâtre de l'Europe in Paris and Dramaten in Stockholm in 2022.
Time for Joy will premiere on Saturday, June 7, in the Rabozaal at International Theater Amsterdam (ITA) and will run until June 14.