By Henrik Ibsen
Conceived and directed by Robert Wilson
Music by Michael Galasso

A co-production of The National Theatre of Bergen, Norway and The Norwegian Theatre of Oslo, Norway

Apr 11, 13—15 at 7pm
Apr 16 at 2pm
BAM Howard Gilman Opera House
Tickets: $25, 45, 65, 80
In Norwegian with English titles
Running time: approximately 3 hours, 50 minutes

Where does the real self lie? For Peer Gynt, an irredeemably hypocritical farmer’s son with more identities than an onion has layers, it’s a question that only a roguish life of loving, leaving, and stealing can answer. As envisioned by Robert Wilson, with a transcendent score composed by violin virtuoso Michael Galasso, Ibsen’s existential masterpiece radiates humor, pathos, and stunning beauty in its timeless look at our shared virtues and vices.

In Wilson’s hands, the stage appears to expand beyond its physical confines, and the characters who inhabit it seem to have one foot in the here and now and the other in the realm of the unconscious. Born in ancient Norwegian folklore, Wilson’s Peer Gynt reveals a resolutely modern antihero. We see him young, old, and in-between—heartlessly manipulative, hopelessly naïve, recklessly opportunistic, and disconcertingly familiar.

Our two Ibsen productions this spring (see the Sydney Theatre Company’s Hedda Gabler), offer BAM audiences an incredible opportunity to experience vastly different contemporary interpretations of his work. It’s a fitting way to mark the 100th anniversary of the great dramatist’s death.


Lighting and stage design by Robert Wilson
Costume and make-up design by Jacques Reynaud
Co-direction by Ann-Christin Rommen

Produced in association with Bergen International Festival and The Centennial Anniversary Norway 2005 Ltd