"The Barber of Seville" is a musical comedy full of twists and turns, romance, and cunning schemes—with a burlesque twist and directed by Vidar Magnussen.
We meet the charming barber Figaro, who, with his quick wit and even quicker solutions, helps the young Count Almaviva win the heart of the beautiful Rosina. The pace is fast, the melodies are timeless, and laughter comes easily as disguises, misunderstandings, and secret agreements become entangled. This is opera at its most playful—elegant, energetic, and irresistibly entertaining.
The opera has been a crowd favorite since its premiere in the early 1800s, and now takes on a whole new twist as comedian, actor, TV personality, and director Vidar Magnussen brings the story into his burlesque and, not least, humorous world. The audience is treated to poetic slapstick inspired by, among others, silent film hero Buster Keaton. At the same time, the 2027 production will remain faithful to the original story. The narrative is sung in Norwegian, and we can promise that this will be both beautiful and funny.
Hedda Award winner directs *
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“Enchanting madness,” reported *Bergensavisen*, and together with *BT*, they awarded it a 6 out of 6 rating when Vidar Magnussen directed *Shockheaded Peter* at DNS. The production also received the highest honor in the performing arts in 2024, winning the Hedda Award for Best Musical Theater.
“This is going to be a real visual treat, as well as being fun,” says Vidar in an interview with Bergens Tidende in connection with the launch of The Barber of Seville – read the interview here (subscription required)
A unique opera collaboration between the south, west, and north
*The Barber of Seville* is the first of what we hope will be many collaborative projects between the Bergen National Opera, the Arctic Philharmonic, Opera Rogaland, and Kilden .
