Nye Hjorten Teater – a new stage for Trondheim

By Thea Johansen

In Trondheim, Nye Hjorten has opened its doors with a clear ambition: to create a theatre that is also a meeting place. Here, performances, music, food and conversation combine into an all-encompassing experience. This spring, the venue presents We Will Rock You, bringing Queen’s iconic songs to the stage.

Part theatre, part meeting place, Nye Hjorten Teater was created as a modern entertainment house where different cultural experiences meet under one roof. You may start the evening with dinner, move into the auditorium for a performance and end the night with a drink. With ambitious stage productions and a programme that ranges from musicals to smaller performances, live jazz and film screenings, the venue aims to bring new energy to Trondheim’s cultural scene.

The name Hjorten carries deep roots; the original Hjorten theatre was a lively entertainment venue and social hub, all the way back from 1867 to 1947. The new theatre draws inspiration from that history while establishing its own identity, “rising from the ashes,” as theatre director, actor and playwright Mads Bones phrases. The goal is to shape a theatre that reflects Trondheim today.

Photo: Even Blomsnes Solheim

Saturday all week

The idea of making Saturday last all week was part of the philosophy at the original Hjorten theatre, a place where people gathered not just for performances, but for an evening out. Nye Hjorten has carried that legacy forward. Saturday, as Mads Bones explains, “is the day you treat yourself a little extra. It’s a kind of lighthouse of the week.”

The ambition is simple: to recreate that feeling every evening. Visitors might come for a show, meet friends for dinner, or simply spend time in the beautiful venue. In an age of streaming and individual screens, the theatre aims to offer something different: a space where audiences sit in the same room and experience the same moment. “We want people to experience things together – like a giant campfire,” says Bones.

Theatre director Mads Bones. Photo: Even Blomsnes Solheim

Designed to be noticed

Located in the heart of Trondheim, Nye Hjorten Teater was designed to be noticed, drawing inspiration from the confident cultural buildings of larger European cities – “It shines like a red ruby,” states Bones.

Its tower echoes the copper tones of Nidaros Cathedral’s spire, linking contemporary design with the city’s historic skyline. Inside, the impact is immediate. The interior unfolds in layers of velvet, deep reds and playful patterns. Designer Anemone Wille Våge experimented with form, colour and texture to create a space that is bold yet intimate, dramatic yet welcoming, resulting in a dreamlike, timeless space.

Photo: Studio Dreyer Hensley

An evening at Nye Hjorten

The venue runs its own kitchen, and the restaurant functions as an integral part of the house. It is here that the experience begins for many visitors; in the restaurant, where the team strives to create an atmosphere so inviting that guests start planning their next visit before the food even reaches the table. Guests are welcome, whether they are attending a performance or not, but the connection between dining and theatre remains intentional.

Live music further shapes the atmosphere, with a jazz band performing every other Friday – reflecting Trondheim’s long-standing reputation as one of Norway’s leading jazz cities.

On stage, the programme is deliberately broad. The theatre presents both large musical productions and smaller performances centred on storytelling. Performed by a carefully curated ensemble described by Bones as new stars, focusing on delivering song, dance and acting at the same high level. “We want the big, image-rich musical adventures that almost make you dizzy, but also intimate productions where the word is at the centre,” he explains.

Queen takes the stage

The theatre’s major production this spring is We Will Rock You, the musical built around the songs of Queen. Completed in 2001, it imagines a dystopian future where individuality and live music have disappeared, themes that feel strikingly relevant today.

Rather than importing an existing version, Nye Hjorten Teater chose to create its own interpretation. “We wanted to reinterpret the story ourselves,” says Bones. The production combines choreography, staging and visual spectacle into a large-scale musical experience – the kind of show that leaves audiences stunned.

The moment on stage

For Bones, the true magic lies in the moment itself. Every performance is unique, shaped by the energy between stage and audience. What happens on stage exists only in that moment “It’s here and now, every single time,” Bones states. Since opening, audiences have responded enthusiastically, with standing ovations and returning visitors filling the seats.

Looking ahead, Nye Hjorten Teater aims to contribute not only to Trondheim’s cultural life but to Norwegian performing arts more broadly. The goal is clear: to be both a local meeting place and a stage with national and international reach.