Theatres & Venues
On this page you will find short information on the most relevant theatres in Denmark as regards international collaboration.
The Royal Danish Theatre (Det Kongelige Teater )
The Royal Danish Theatre is the national theatre of Denmark and houses the Royal Danish Opera, the Royal Danish Ballet, The Royal Danish Orchestra as well as the Theatre itself. The Royal Danish Theatre has two stages in the central building of Kongens Nytorv, two in the opera house on the Copenhagen harbourfront and three stages in the theatre building on the harbourfront, opposite the Opera.
Albertslund Music Theatre ( Albertslund Musikteater )
Renamed after a major refurbishement and extension in 1996, this large cultural centre from the 70’s was refurbished and extended in 1996. Since the 80’s The Albertslund Music Theatre has been the leading receiving theatre for larger scale productions in the region of non commercial theatre, dance and music and the progressive arts policy of Albertslund Municipality has supported this role. It has provided a stage for all KIT’s international festivals and also hosts independent Danish and international productions.
Seats: 900
Baltoppen
Baltoppen is a 15-year old cultural center in the suburb of Ballerup 15 kilometres west of Copenhagen. Its focus is local – i.e. touring theatre productions and musicals are presented regularly, but in recent years, the profile of the theatre has intensified, thanks to increased public funding. Under the banner “Dance on the Edge of Copenhagen,” Baltoppen has become one of the region’s only venues for contemporary dance, hosting both Danish and international guest performances.
Seats: 500
Betty Nansen Teatret
The Betty Nansen Theatre in Copenhagen is often touted as the country’s alternate national theatre. It was established in 1869 and still has the traditional proscenium stage. The theatre receives funding as a part of Københavns Teater.
As well as a base for stage director Peter Langdal, the BNT has distinguished itself by staging productions associated with widely renowned playwrights of the day- from Denmark and abroad. For example, the Danish director Katrine Wiedemann has worked at the theatre several times and BN staged the Danish versions of Michael Frayn’s “Copenhagen” (1999) and “Democracy” (2004). In 2002, it won international recognition for its collaboration with Robert Wilson/Tom Waits on “Woyzeck”, which later toured Europe and the US.
In 1992, the nearby annex Edison, opened. Located in an abandoned power station, it has its own profile. Edison’s focus has been integration projects, including C:NTACT, which offers workshops and productions primarily aimed at young audiences with both Danish and foreign backgrounds.
CaféTeatret
CaféTeatret is the leading fringe theatre for contemporary drama in Copenhagen. Since 1972, it has produced original work and hosted outside productions on its two small stages and café.
CT has continuously worked with an artistic openness to new trends. It has often been the first theatre to present new international plays – for example, by Sarah Kane, Mark Ravenhill, David Harrower and Falk Richter. Likewise, it has staged contemporary Danish drama by, for example, Christian Lollike and Gerz Feigenberg. Moreover, its cabaret stage, Kafcaféen, has hosted late night shows, regular readings and discussion evenings. Throughout the years, Café Teatret has participated in a number of international collaborations.
Copenhagen Music Theatre (Københavns Musikteater)
Operating from a converted chapel in the centre of the city, the new theatre extends its remit to cover all forms of audio art, installations, electronica, as well as contemporary music theatre and performance. Copenhagen Music Theatre produces work itself and commissions new work from Danish composers and artists as well as hosting small scale international guest performances.
DanseScenen
Dansescenen is Denmark’s first and still leading stage for contemporary dance.
The theatre is an open venue for independent dance productions. Approximately 130 performances a year are presented at Dansescenen, including 20 national and international guest productions, festivals and the theatre’s own productions – including a well-run guest choreographer program.
As part of its work in profiling and promoting contemporary dance, special efforts have been made in recent years to reach a younger audience: for example, the theatre plays host to The Junior Company (Juniorkompagniet) for young people between 14 and 18. Here, professional Danish and international choreographers create new work which are presented as part of Dansescenen’s season.
Entré Scenen
Entré Scenen, established in 1991 by the City of Aarhus, is the leading stage for modern, experimental performance/dance/drama in Aarhus and has a network connecting it with both the professional as well as the grass roots theatre. In addition to a repertoire of approximately 25 productions and projects annually Entré Scenen also hosts the Laboratory project with Danish and international directors, performers and playwrights developing new dramatic tools and methods. Furthermore the theatre participates in the EU-supported Junge Hunde-festival for young European dance and performance, in collaboration with Kanonhallen in Copenhagen and Dansstationen in Malmö, Sweden.
Gasværket
Gasværket, formerly Østre Gasværk Theatre, in Copenhagen is known as one of the world’s most beautiful theatre spaces. It is located in a refurbished gasholder building from 1883 in Copenhagen. This circular building has a diameter of 45 metres, finishing in a dome that very much resembles the Pantheon in Rome.
Since 1979, the space has been used for theatrical performances, including Peter Brook’s Carmen and Mahabharata in the 1980s, as well as Merce Cunningham and The Royal Shakespeare Company. In the 1990s, the theatre shifted to mounting its own productions, including the hugely popular musicals "Les Misérables" and "Miss Saigon".
Kulturhus Aarhus
The culture house in Aarhus was established in 1995 by the City of Aarhus as a centre of production, presentation and management, based in converted buildings and with access to several stages including Ridehuset. At present some 36 projects and initiatives are based in or are linked to the centre. Kulturhuset supports the production of diverse arts practice and also acts as a link and co-ordinator between the main independent projects in the city and the cultural institutions of the city. Kulturhus also initiates programmes itself within the performing arts and is the organiser of events such as Art Crash, Kulturama, Images of the Middle East/Aarhus.
Odin Teatret
Odin Teatret in Holstebro is Scandinavia’s leading anthropological theatre, founded by Eugenio Barba in 1964 and has a world wide reputation. The theatre has, quite uniquely, linked research and theatre together in the The Nordic Theatre Laboratory (Nordisk Teaterlaboratorium). The theatre is located in Holstebro in western Jutland and disposes of 3 halls.
The theatre regularly invites international experimental companies to Hoslterbro on an on-going basis and also organises international workshops and festivals, including the Transit Festival and the annual festival Holstebro Festuge.
Seats: 70 seats
Husets Teater
Husets Teater in Copenhagen is a young, confrontational theatre with a distinctive artistic profile. In 2002, the theatre moved to Huset in the centre of Copenhagen, which has for decades been associated with the youth culture. Husets Teater creates its own original productions and also hosts outside dance and theatre performances by independent Danish companies such as Mammutteatret, Cantabile 2 and Meridiano Teatret. The theatre also presents concerts, DJs, performance art, poetry slam, and magic shows. The theatre’s original productions primarily experiment with new forms of expression and idioms of stagecraft – in the coming season, for example, new Danish drama by Nicolas Bro and two world premieres by Dejan Dukovski and Sergi Belbel, respectively.
Republique
Svalegangen
Svalegangen in Aarhus has a 33-year old tradition as an ambitious fringe theatre.
Svalegangen has selected its repertoire to fit somewhere between the city’s major institutional theatre, Aarhus Teater, and the many experimental groups in the city. Svalegangen produces its own work with emphasis on contemporary Danish and international (Anglo-American) drama. However, it is also available for visiting productions. In addition, the theatre participates in an exchange program with other small scale theatres around the country.
Seats: 200
Teaterhuset
Centrally located in Odense, this complex of four theatres is the home of 5 companies as well as providing open stages for touring productions. The five companies are the childrens’ theatre Skægspire, Den Fynske Opera, Momentum, Odense International Musikteater and the dance company Ingrid Kristensen & Co.
Teatret ved Sorte Hest
Teatret ved Sorte Hest (Black Horse Theatre) - one of Copenhagen’s most artistically ambitious small theatres – has been located for 28 years in an abandoned coach house in the Vesterbro quarter of Copenhagen. Despite its conscious old-fashioned atmosphere, Teatret ved Sorte Hest mounts five productions a year, focusing primarily on new Danish and international drama, though with room for classical retrospectives – e.g. Sartre and performances in French.
The theatre has introduced new names to Danish theatre – for example, the French dramatist Eric-Emmanuel Schmitt and Swedish writer Jonas Gardell.
Seats: 70