Den Nationale Scene

Den Nationale Scene traces its roots to 1850, when it opened as Det Norske Theater on the initiative of violinist Ole Bull to cultivate Norwegian playwrights and actors; Henrik Ibsen served as writer-in-residence and art director there from 1851–1858, and his play "The Pillars of Society" premiered on the stage in 1877. The company moved into its present building, an Art Nouveau landmark designed by architect Einar Oscar Schou, which opened on 19 February 1909 with a production of "Erasmus Montanus" attended by King Haakon VII and Queen Maud. The building was extended in 1920, damaged during the Second World War, and restored close to its original form in 2001; it received national heritage protection in 1993 and today employs around 140 people, staging roughly 20–25 productions a year across the theatre's three stages. Hovedscenen, also known as Store Scene, is the largest of these, seating 450 across orchestra, parterre, front box and balcony levels. The historic Engen building is currently closed to the public for modernisation from May 2025 to autumn 2026, with productions relocated to venues including Hallen USF, Bergen Kjøtt, Forum Scene and Grieghallen during the closure.