When: Wednesday, May 13th, 2.30–6 pm
Where: Norwegian Ambassador’s Residence, Amesbury House, 10 Palace Green, London W8 4QA
New Norwegian Drama: Theatrical readings, panel & networking reception
This gathering brings together playwrights, theatre-makers, and the performing arts industry for an afternoon dedicated to contemporary Norwegian drama and its international resonance.
The event opens with words of welcome from the Ambassador and PAHN, setting the stage for a presentation of the Ibsen Jubilee in 2028 and Ibsen’s extensive influence, even today.
Ibsen as a Counterforce for 200 Years
Two hundred years after the birth of Henrik Ibsen, his plays continue to resonate as powerful reflections on social structures and contemporary realities. By challenging the conventions of his time, Ibsen established theatre as a space for critical inquiry, a legacy that continues to shape both Norwegian and international drama.
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Over the past 30 years, Tanika has written over 35 stage plays for major theatres across the UK as well as writing several original television dramas for the BBC and contributing scripts for some of the BBC's longest running series. Her adaptations of Ibsen's work include HEDDA (Orange Tree) and A DOLL'S HOUSE (Lyric Hammersmith), while her other work for the stage includes LIONS AND TIGERS (Shakespeare’s Globe - Winner of the James Tait Black Prize for Drama), A TUPPERWARE OF ASHES (National Theatre) and THE EMPRESS (RSC). Tanika was awarded an MBE for her services to drama in 2008.
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Liyang Xia is Associate Professor at the Centre for Ibsen Studies at the University of Oslo. Her research focuses on the reception of Henrik Ibsen in Chinese and global theatre, as well as Chinese traditional theatre and contemporary performance practices.
She is the author of Ibsen, Theatre and the Chinese State: A Hundred Years of Contestations (Manchester University Press, 2026), and co-author of Visualising Lost Theatres: Virtual Praxis and the Recovery of Performance Spaces(Cambridge University Press, 2022). Xia also works as a literary translator and has translated Ibsen’s plays directly from Norwegian into Chinese.
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Low Kee Hong is Creative Director at Factory International, the landmark cultural space in the heart of Manchester which opened in 2023. He leads the curatorial team and, together with Artistic Director and CEO John McGrath, develops the artistic programme for Factory International as well as Manchester International Festival (MIF) from 2025.
He also oversees public engagement, artist development and international collaborations, supporting artists in Greater Manchester and the North while helping bring their work to global audiences. His work spans training initiatives, community engagement and international partnerships that enable large-scale artistic productions to be realised and toured worldwide. Low Kee Hong is a committee member of the prestigious award International Ibsen Award.
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Nancy Durrant is a culture journalist and broadcaster with more than two decades of experience. She is co-host of The London Theatre Review podcast (which does exactly what it says on the tin) and writes The London Culture Edit, a regular Substack newsletter reviewing and highlighting current and upcoming cultural events in London from theatre to art and the rest.
She was formerly the Culture Editor of the Evening Standard, where she also hosted Cultural Capital, a weekly YouTube London culture show, and prior to that spent 16 years as an arts writer and editor at The Times of London.
She writes features, interviews and reviews across the cultural landscape, from dance to theatre, art to opera and everything in between, for publications including The Times, The Observer, The Sunday Times, The London Standard, Opera Now, W Magazine, Plaster, Art Quarterly and others, and regularly pops up as a commentator on BBC Radio 4, Times Radio, Monocle Radio and others.
Nancy also hosts live and online events from in-conversations to day conferences, for clients including the National Gallery, Dulwich Picture Gallery, Charleston Festival, Barbican, the V&A, the Association of Women in the Arts (AWITA), Soho House, Brookfield Properties and Earls Court Development Company.
She is a proud trustee of Dundee Contemporary Arts, and also provides a consultancy service, helping cultural organisations such as the Royal Ballet and Opera to more effectively tell their stories.
A panel featuring Tanika Gupta, Kee Hong Low and Liyang Xia with culture journalist Nancy Durrant as moderator, will explore why Ibsen remains relevant on stages worldwide today, what kind of legacy his work has created for Norwegian drama, and how his influence can be traced in new generations of playwrights. It will also consider in what ways Ibsen can still function as a counterforce in contemporary society.
Further the panel will explore the evolving landscape of theatre, collaboration across borders, and the role of storytelling today, and examines a broader question: what conditions in Norway have enabled such singular voices to emerge, and how are new generations of playwrights continuing and transforming this legacy today?
Theatrical readings presenting Fosse, Lygre, Isakstuen and Grønskag
Following a short break, the stage will be set for theatrical readings from works by Jon Fosse, Arne Lygre, Monica Isakstuen and Kristofer Blindheim Grønskag, four playwrights whose writing has shaped and challenged Nordic theatre in distinct ways.
The readings lead naturally into a conversation moderated by Nancy Durrant with playwrights Isakstuen and Grønskag, accompanied by literary agent Gina Winje (Winje Agency) and Tom Remlov (Songbird Agency), offering insight into their creative processes, artistic motivations, and experiences reaching audiences beyond Norway.
The afternoon concludes with a reception in the Yellow Room, where guests are invited to mingle over drinks and canapés.
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Dramatic works represented by Colombine Teaterförlag (NO/SE). For this event, Fosse is represented by his literary agent Gina Winje (NO) and Imogen Sarre at Cassarotto agency (UK)
Jon Fosse, born in 1959, awarded The Nobel Prize in Literature 2023, is widely considered one of the most important writers of our time. For almost forty years he has written novels, plays, poems, stories, essays, and children’s books. His award-winning work has been translated into more than fifty languages, and his plays have been staged over a thousand times all over the world.
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Represented by Tom Remlow (NO) Songbird and Toby Parsons (UK)
Arne Lygre’s unique voice and powerful writing embrace us, comfort us, and leave a lasting emotional imprint. His plays have become an international export, establishing him as a major dramatist on the world stage. Today, his works are putting Norway on the map across a wide range of global theatre landscapes.
Lygre’s body of work includes a remarkable collection of plays, novels, and short stories. He was awarded the Brage Prize for his short story collection Tid inne, and has earned critical acclaim for novels such as Et siste ansikt and Min døde mann. His dramatic oeuvre encompasses thirteen plays, each marked by a distinctive style and thematic depth that is uniquely his own.
Arne Lygre has secured a strong position in the international theatre sphere. His works have been recognized with prestigious awards including the Ibsen Award and the Hedda Award. His plays have been translated into more than twenty languages, affirming his standing as one of the Nordics most vital and globally resonant playwrights. -
Represented by Colombine (NO/SE) and Sissi Lichtenstein at IPR agency (UK)
Monica Isakstuen (b 1976, Norway) is a critically acclaimed author and playwright.
She debuted in 2008 with the poetry collection Sånn, borte, and produced the novel Avstand in 2008. Her breakthrough came with the novel Vær snill med dyrene (2016), for which she was awarded the Brage Prize, and she received the national Ibsenprisen for the play «Dette er ikke oss» in 2023 . Her latest novel to be published was Mine Venner in 2021. Her works have been translated to many languages, and been played in a number of countries. Isakstuen was the resident playwright at Dramatikkens hus from 2018 to 2021. Spring 2026, her play «Til minne om familien» has its world premiere at Hålogaland teater i Norway, alongside several first performances in Sweden and France.
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Represented by Colombine (NO/SE) and Sissi Lichtenstein at IPR agency (UK)
Kristofer Blindheim Grønskag (born 1984) has written a number of plays that have been produced both in Norway and internationally. His work has earned several nominations and awards, including the prestigious Jugendtheaterpreis Baden-Württemberg, longlisting for the Deutscher Kindertheaterpreis and Deutscher Jugendtheaterpreis, the Amsterdam Fringe Bronze Award, as well as two nominations for the Ibsen Award. Grønskag also works as a dramaturg and lecturer, and has undertaken several adaptations and reworkings. He has been a resident playwright at Dramatikkens Hus in Oslo and the Norwegian representative for the European Writers Lab. His work has so far been translated into eleven languages.
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Gina Winje, founder and CEO, has worked in publishing and culture export industry for years. She founded Winje Agency in 2016 with Jon Fosse as its first author. In 2023, Fosse received the Nobel Prize in Literature. Winje Agency works with a select list of high-quality authors, including Victoria Kielland, Aslak Nore, Ruth Lillegraven, Sigri Sandberg, Thorvald Steen and Long Litt Woon. The stall of authors is growing constantly, now including the Danish literary stars Helle Helle and Stine Pilgaard.
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Tom Remlov is a director, dramaturg and translator, and a central figure in Norwegian cultural life with extensive experience from top positions in the performing arts sector. He has served as Artistic Director of Den Nationale Scene, Artistic Director of Riksteatret, and Chief Executive of the Norwegian National Opera & Ballet.
He is currently Chair of the Board at Songbird and has in‑depth knowledge of the playwright Arne Lygre, who is represented by the agency.
Photo credits: Jon Fosse: Agnete Brun/Monica Isakstuen: Hålogaland Teater/Kristofer Grønskaug: Signe Fuglesteg Luksengard/Arne Lygre: Tine Poppe
Collaborating partners
