Theatres and Operas in Copenhagen
Exploring the Arts and Culture Scene in Denmark’s Capital
Oct 20, 2009
Whether the interest lies in theatrical performances or enjoying the sweet sounds of the opera, Copenhagen offers several venues where one can experience the Scandinavian culture of arts and entertainment. Since it can be overwhelming to pick the venue, one could visit three well-known theatres in the city. The Royal Theatre, the Opera House and Nørrebro Theatre, however, are just three of the many venues in central Copenhagen.
The Royal Theatre
Over the past 250 years, the Royal Theatre has experienced many changes in terms of expansion and appearance. When its doors were first opened, the theatre proudly invited the public to experience the plays and arts performed on the stage. The original building was designed by Nicolai Eigtved, but after just ten years, the building had to be rebuilt. The new design was to accommodate a larger public audience and the new theatre was designed by C.F. Harsdorff.
As the years went on, more and more public venues began emerging, resulting in an expansion of the original Royal Theatre. New scenes accommodating different types of theatre, operas and monologue readings were built around the city. The old stage can still be found by the King’s Court, also called Kongens Nytorv.
Today, the theatre is open for more than just stage plays. Besides internal tours of the old theatre and stage located right by the King’s Court, the theatre also offers to arrange corporate and personal events, where their focus is to blend the individual or corporate needs together with culture and art, whatever the purpose of the visit may be.
The Opera House
The largest opera in Copenhagen was originally opened to the public in early 2005. The Opera House, as it is called, was sponsored by A.P. Møller and his wife Chastine Mc-Kinney Møller and designed by the Danish architect Henning Larsen. To complete the project, Larsen had to draw on his previous experience with rather large international projects.
The opera is one of the stages that belong to the Royal Theatre. The main stage in the opera house can hold between 1,492 and 1,703 guests, depending on the size and needs of the orchestra. The structure of seating is classic with seating on the floor level, accompanied by three rows of balcony seating.
Today, the opera house is the primary venue for operas and ballets. Classical concerts, however, have also been performed here due to the large orchestra placement in front of the stage.
Nørrebro Theatre
The Nørrebro theatre differs from the Royal Theatre due to the comedic plays and events that are presented on this stage. While the Royal Theatre focuses on classic or modernized versions of older plays or literature, as well as operas and classical music concerts, the Nørrebro theatre is open for younger talents who are new to the theatre scene.
This stage is relatively new to the Copenhagen theatre environment and has just opened for its third season. It has been made possible to open the theatre due to the hard work of Denmark’s funniest comedians, who offer their own comedic acts or plays on the stage. Nørrebro Theatre is located on the north-western side of the city.
The themes that surface in the plays presented in this theatre can be quite provocative and controversial. In the past, shows have included a modern mockery of the bible, a comedic take on current political affairs and theatrical interpretations of famous Danish actors, politicians or icons.
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