Peer Gynt play
Scenography for the Festival at Gålå
2018–2019
Introduction
Together with the Peer Gynt Festival and its theater director Marit Moum Aune, Snøhetta has developed an innovative new scenography for the Peer Gynt play by the famous Norwegian playwright- and theater director Henrik Ibsen.
Peer Gynt was introduced in 1867. The five-act play is considered a masterpiece within literature and is one of the most widely performed Norwegian plays. It is performed every year during the Peer Gynt Festival at Gålå in Norway.
Technical details
Peer Gynt Spelet
Photos: Bård Gundersen
Connecting the audience and the lake
The spectacular outdoor theatre stage is situated by the idyllic Gålå lake, surrounded by mountains and the forest in the scenic valley of Gudbrandsdalen. The director’s desire was to bring the audience closer to the lake, which serves as a mythical backdrop for the stage.
Together with the artistic team of Peer Gynt, led by actress and former Norwegian Minister of Culture, Ellen Horn, Snøhetta developed a scenography which connects the act to the surrounding landscape through a transformational infinity pool.
In the middle of the play
The scenography is a water-based stage area emphasizing the visual and physical connection to the lake.
The scenography brings the audience closer to the platform, creating a sense of being in the middle of the play. The Gålå lake is brought onto the stage, allowing the audience to interact with the water.
To further connect the audience to the stage, the wooden structure enclosing the infinity pool, Solveien, is made from reused wood from the backrests of the chairs in the amphitheater.
This creates a visual connection between the audience and the platform, inviting them to participate in Peer Gynt's infamous adventures in a new and innovative way.
