Haugtussa
"A dark masterpiece" - Aftenposten ★★★★★★
The Norwegian author Arne Garborg wrote the poems about Haugtussa in 1885, and immediately inspired Edvard Grieg to compose his famous song cycle, giving Haugtussa her musical voice. Intertwining theatre and music, the ensemble from Nationaltheatret in Oslo will perform together with mezzosoprano Adrian Angelico and pianist Marita Kjetland Rabben. The director Eline Arbo, whose productions are often like rock concerts, captures the moods of the story powerfully and atmospherically. With music by Thijs van Vuure, the result is an intense interdisciplinary experience.
Run time 105 minutes
Genre Music theatre
Language Norwegian
Surtitles English and Dutch
Dutch Opening Night Thu September 19
Please note the performance will deal with depression, suicide and mental illness. Smoke and fog are used during the performance.
Haugtussa
From an early age Haugtussa (literally: The Mountains Maid) can tell she’s different: she sees things other people can’t see and has powers other people don’t have. Finding no place in the community, she takes refuge in nature, searching for herself and finding her first great love, who only causes her more pain. Struggling with being different, she feels lost, caught between the expectations of society and her own innermost desires.
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“I’d rather see with my own eyes, than walk through life deaf and blind, never separating truth from lie.” - Arne Garborg
Reviews
Aftenposten ★★★★★★
"Haugtussa has become a dark masterpiece. It's beautiful, musical and has the most gorgeous sex scene of the decade. Eline Arbo's version of ‘Haugtussa’ could become a theatre classic."
de Volkskrant
"Eline Arbo makes dark, mysterious and sometimes comic musical theatre out of ‘Haugtussa’ (‘Troll girl’)"
NRC
"Loneliness, heartbreak, dancing with death: these are universal themes, not tied to any time or place. It is clever how this new adaptation highlights precisely those elements, making the story of a Norwegian girl from the 19th century relatable to a present-day audience."
Trouw
"In the immaculate ‘Haugtussa’, trolls are simply mythical creatures again."
Theaterkrant
"A magical tale about the power of being different."
Credits
van Arne Garborg
adaptation Eline Arbo and Njål Helge Mjøs
composition Edvard Grieg
direction Eline Arbo
composition and music Thijs van Vuure
set design and lighting design Norunn Standal
costume design Alva Walderhaug Brosten
sound design Dennis Slot
choreography Ida Wigdel
hair and make-up Ida Kristine Høgbakk
dramaturgy Njål Helge Mjøs
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with Kjersti Tveterås (VESLEMØY), Christian Ruud Kallum (JON), Øystein Røger (The King of the Blue Hill), Liv Bernhoft Osa (MOTHER), Hanne Skille Reitan (Megga fra Ås (The Rich Bitch from Ås)), Adrian Angelico (Singer), Catharina Vehre Gresslien (Dancer)
produced by Nationalteatret (Norwegian National Theatre) in co-production with Ruhrtriennale.
A special thanks to Peter Nohlmans and Dinko Valerio for their generous support of this series of performances
Eline Arbo is Artistic Director at ITA since September 2023. From 2022 she was already linked to ITA as Associate Artistic Director. From January 2023, Arbo was appointed Ibsen Artist in Residence, an initiative of the Philip Loubser Foundation, which gives directors with an international ambition the opportunity to develop themselves artistically.
In season 25|26, she will create Copenhagen Trilogy (Tove Ditlevsen) and her stagings of Giovanni's Room (James Baldwin), The Laws (Connie Palmen), Prima Facie (Suzie Miller), The Wall (Marlen Haushofer) and The End of Eddy (Édouard Louis), will be reprised.
Thijs van Vuure studied biology and philosophy at the Vrije Universiteit (Amsterdam). After his master's degree in biology, he studied instrumental performance and music composition at the Hogeschool voor de Kunsten (Utrecht), and fine arts at the Rietveld Academy (Amsterdam).
Over the last years, Thijs specialised in composing, arranging, sounddesign and music direction for theatre and on a regular basis he performs on stage with variable instruments and styles, depending on the concept and context of the performance. Besides this he creates projects where art, philosophy and science and their reciprocal influences are a central theme. Among others he makes site responsive performances and installations as a part of Collectief Walden, an interdisciplinary collective which performs (inter)nationally.
Previously at ITA he worked on the music for The Hours (2021),Penthesilea (2023), Prima Facie (2023) and The Laws (2024), Giovanni's Room (2025), The Wall (2025), Time for Joy (2025). In season 25/26 he is making the music for The Laws.
Haugtussa is supported by
