Folketeatret

Folketeatret (People's Theatre) is a theatre in Oslo, Norway. The building has existed longer than the theatre, and been used as a movie theatre and opera house.

The theatre itself operated from 1952 to 1959, but the institution has a much longer history. Insipired by the Freie Deutsche Volksbühne in Berlin led to forming of interest organizations in Bergen and Oslo in 1928 and 1929. The idea to establish a good theater for the working class. The Folketeatret building in Oslo was commissioned in 1929, and the architects Christian Morgenstierne and Arne Eide worked with it until it opened in 1935. For financial reasons, a theatre did not open immediately, but a movie theatre was operated.

The first theatre performance happened in 1952. Hans Jacob Nilsen was the theatre director from 1952 to 1955, then Jens Gunderssen from 1955 to 1959. In 1959 the finances were too poor to continue as an independent theatre. Folketeatret was merged with Det Nye Teater to form Oslo Nye Teater, although it continued operation in Folketeatret's building. From 1959 to 2008 the building was shared with the Norwegian National Opera.