‘- I hope Southern Norway is ready for us’
– I hope Southern Norway is ready for us
She has played Trine from the comedy series *Mot i Brøstet*, Karsten’s mother in *Karsten & Petra*, and in Kilden you Kilden her as the troubled nun Mary Lazarus.
A pleasant surprise
"Sister Act" has just wrapped up its run in Oslo, and now the cast is heading south to dazzle audiences in Southern Norway with the glow of the disco balls. For Hilde Lyrån, who plays Sister Mary Lazarus, the show’s success came as a pleasant surprise.
“The fact that things have gone so well has come as a surprise to many of us—a pleasant one, that is,” Hilde laughs. “People in Oslo have been absolutely thrilled, and now we’re really looking forward to finally heading south.”
It’s not just in the theater that the atmosphere has been great lately; the actors who are about to go on tour are also looking forward to it.
“It’s very rare for such a large-scale production to go on tour. In the context of Norwegian theater, this is actually quite unique,” Hilde continues.
New generation
For Hilde, it’s not just about having fun at work; recruitment is also important.
“Sister Act is pure feel-good entertainment from start to finish—exactly what we need right now, I think. We’ve seen that the audience in Oslo spans all ages; many may have never been to the theater before and are pleasantly surprised. We need a steady influx of new, theater-loving young people—perhaps a cheerful musical like Sister Act could be just the thing to open that door,” Hilde asks rhetorically.
Multidisciplinary artist
Hilde really enjoys acting both on stage and on screen; she says it adds variety to her daily life.
– The common thread is that you’re playing a role, but on stage—at least in a show like Sister Act—you have to act a lot, a whole lot! Whereas on screen, you tone it down a lot; the camera is close up, and you can see even the slightest facial expressions.
So the million-dollar question is, what does she like best?
– When you perform on stage, no two nights are alike, and it has a lot to do with the audience. The audience in the hall provides energy, and you get an immediate, direct response. We think we’re doing the same thing we did the night before, but there are small variations that make every single night different from the last.
"I never quite know what to expect. I find that incredibly exciting," says Hilde Lyrån
Positive actor, negative character
Hilde plays Mary Lazarus, a grumpy and cantankerous nun who mostly mopes her way through life; yet, if we are to believe Hilde, there are still some similarities.
– She’s different from a lot of the other roles I’ve played. As Karsten’s mother in *Karsten & Petra*, for example, I’m happy, positive, and outgoing; here, I’m withdrawn, grumpy, and cranky—it’s a blast!
– Basically, I’m much more positive and outgoing than Lazarus. She approaches life’s challenges with a pessimistic attitude, but she also has a sarcastic sense of humor that I can relate to.
The fact that the character differs from the person playing her has meant that friends and family haven’t necessarily realized that it’s Hilde hiding beneath the nun’s habit.
“Lazarus’s body language and demeanor have made people who know me well have to listen closely to figure out who I’m playing; they’re dying to know who’s hiding behind that hunched-over, grumpy nun with the gallows humor who rattles off her lines before rushing offstage, but they usually recognize me by my voice,” says Hilde.
A Friend from Southern Norway
Now that the trip south is just around the corner, Hilde reminisces about the time when the children were small
“We’ve spent a lot of time in Kristiansand with the kids—specifically at the zoo. We went all out with a hotel stay, ‘Sabeltann’ on the first day, and the zoo the next day. The kids loved it, and to be completely honest, I really enjoyed it too,” Hilde says with a smile.
It remains to be seen what kind of leisure activities are on the agenda when the group settles in temporarily for about a month, but there’s no doubt that the mood on set is great.
“It really feels like a school camp right now. I hope Kristiansand is ready for us—the ‘nonnetoget’ is on its way,” Hilde concludes with a chuckle.
– I feel like I’m saving 1,000 people every night
