Ingolf Schanche
Encyclopedia
Ingolf Findregaard Schanche (13 June 1877 – 15 April 1954) was a Norwegian actor and theatre director. He spent most of his career at Nationaltheatret
in Oslo
, and was also the first artistic director at Det Nye Teater
.
as the son of shipmaster Christian Fredrik Grøner Schanche (1847–1918) and Ida P. M. Larsen (1848–1896). He was a distant relative of Jens Schanche
and Herman Garmann Schanche. He was married to actress Ragnhild Fredriksen (1882–1963) from July 1905.
in Peter Egge
's play Stridsmænd, and acted at Den Nationale Scene for two seasons. He joined Ludovica Levy
and Dore Lavik
at their theatre Sekondteatret
in Oslo
from the start in 1899. One year later he played at Centralteatret
and then at Fahlstrøms Teater. In 1905 he started working at Nationaltheatret
. He stayed at Nationaltheatret until 1928, when he was actor and manager for Det Nye Teater
, which opened in 1929. From 1931 to 1942 he again played at Nationalteatret.
During the 1920s he often made guest performances at theatres in Helsinki
, Stockholm
and Copenhagen
. He played comedy roles such as "Count Danilo" in Lehár
's The Merry Widow
, Ibsen
characters such as "Bishop Nikolas" and "Gregers Werle", the Bjørnson
character "Paul Lange", and "Fedja" in Tolstoy's play The Living Corpse
. The height of his career was "Hamlet" in Shakespeare's tragedy
, a role he played first time in 1921.
Schanche was an honorary member of the Swedish Union for Theatre, Artists and Media. He was a Knight of the Swedish Order of Vasa
, and was decorated Knight, First Class of the Royal Norwegian Order of St. Olav in 1937.
Nationaltheatret
The National Theatre in Oslo is one of Norway's largest and most prominent venues for performance of dramatic arts.The theatre had its first performance on 1 September 1899 but can trace its origins to Christiania Theatre, which was founded in 1829...
in Oslo
Oslo
Oslo is a municipality, as well as the capital and most populous city in Norway. As a municipality , it was established on 1 January 1838. Founded around 1048 by King Harald III of Norway, the city was largely destroyed by fire in 1624. The city was moved under the reign of Denmark–Norway's King...
, and was also the first artistic director at Det Nye Teater
Det Nye Teater
Det Nye Teater was a theatre that opened in Oslo in 1929, and ended as an independent theatre in 1959, when it merged with Folketeatret to form Oslo Nye Teater. The theatre's original purpose was to support contemporary Norwegian drama.-History:...
.
Personal life
Schanche was born in BergenBergen
Bergen is the second largest city in Norway with a population of as of , . Bergen is the administrative centre of Hordaland county. Greater Bergen or Bergen Metropolitan Area as defined by Statistics Norway, has a population of as of , ....
as the son of shipmaster Christian Fredrik Grøner Schanche (1847–1918) and Ida P. M. Larsen (1848–1896). He was a distant relative of Jens Schanche
Jens Schanche
Jens Schanche was a Norwegian postmaster who contributed significantly to the development of postal services in Norway. He was instrumental in the transition from post transport being a duty imposed on farmers, to the use of contractors. Schanche was given the title post controller, and later...
and Herman Garmann Schanche. He was married to actress Ragnhild Fredriksen (1882–1963) from July 1905.
Career
He made his stage début in 1897 at the Bergen theatre Den Nationale SceneDen Nationale Scene
Den Nationale Scene is the largest theatre in Bergen, Norway. Den Nationale Scene is also one of the oldest permanent theatre in Norway.-History:...
in Peter Egge
Peter Egge
Peter Egge was a renowned Norwegian writer.He was the father of Ørnulf Egge and grandfather of Åsmund Egge.- Bibliography :* Almue * Nordfra * Faddergaven * Trøndere...
's play Stridsmænd, and acted at Den Nationale Scene for two seasons. He joined Ludovica Levy
Ludovica Levy
Ludovica Magdalena Marie Levy was a Danish actress, theatre director and theatre critic. She toured with theatres in Denmark and Norway, and worked as instructor for Den Nationale Scene in Bergen...
and Dore Lavik
Dore Lavik
Dorotheus Olivarius "Dore" Lavik was a Norwegian actor and theatre director. He worked as an actor at Den Nationale Scene in Bergen from 1895, and chaired the theatre Sekondteatret in Kristiania from 1899 to 1901, together with his wife Ludovica Levy.-Personal life:Dore Lavik was born in Hosanger...
at their theatre Sekondteatret
Sekondteatret
Sekondteatret was a theatre and theatre academy established in Kristiana in 1899 by Ludovica Levy and her husband Dore Lavik. Its opening performance was an adaptation of Schiller's play Mary Stuart on 25 August 1899. The theatre closed in 1900....
in Oslo
Oslo
Oslo is a municipality, as well as the capital and most populous city in Norway. As a municipality , it was established on 1 January 1838. Founded around 1048 by King Harald III of Norway, the city was largely destroyed by fire in 1624. The city was moved under the reign of Denmark–Norway's King...
from the start in 1899. One year later he played at Centralteatret
Centralteatret
Centralteatret is a theatre in Akersgata, Oslo, Norway.Centralteatret was established by the Alma Isabella Bosse Fahlstrøm and Johan Peter Broust Fahlstrøm in 1897. From 1902, Harald Otto was the theater manager and owner. His son, Reidar Otto, subsequently ran it, while his son, Harald Otto...
and then at Fahlstrøms Teater. In 1905 he started working at Nationaltheatret
Nationaltheatret
The National Theatre in Oslo is one of Norway's largest and most prominent venues for performance of dramatic arts.The theatre had its first performance on 1 September 1899 but can trace its origins to Christiania Theatre, which was founded in 1829...
. He stayed at Nationaltheatret until 1928, when he was actor and manager for Det Nye Teater
Det Nye Teater
Det Nye Teater was a theatre that opened in Oslo in 1929, and ended as an independent theatre in 1959, when it merged with Folketeatret to form Oslo Nye Teater. The theatre's original purpose was to support contemporary Norwegian drama.-History:...
, which opened in 1929. From 1931 to 1942 he again played at Nationalteatret.
During the 1920s he often made guest performances at theatres in Helsinki
Helsinki
Helsinki is the capital and largest city in Finland. It is in the region of Uusimaa, located in southern Finland, on the shore of the Gulf of Finland, an arm of the Baltic Sea. The population of the city of Helsinki is , making it by far the most populous municipality in Finland. Helsinki is...
, Stockholm
Stockholm
Stockholm is the capital and the largest city of Sweden and constitutes the most populated urban area in Scandinavia. Stockholm is the most populous city in Sweden, with a population of 851,155 in the municipality , 1.37 million in the urban area , and around 2.1 million in the metropolitan area...
and Copenhagen
Copenhagen
Copenhagen is the capital and largest city of Denmark, with an urban population of 1,199,224 and a metropolitan population of 1,930,260 . With the completion of the transnational Øresund Bridge in 2000, Copenhagen has become the centre of the increasingly integrating Øresund Region...
. He played comedy roles such as "Count Danilo" in Lehár
Franz Lehár
Franz Lehár was an Austrian-Hungarian composer. He is mainly known for his operettas of which the most successful and best known is The Merry Widow .-Biography:...
's The Merry Widow
The Merry Widow
The Merry Widow is an operetta by the Austro–Hungarian composer Franz Lehár. The librettists, Viktor Léon and Leo Stein, based the story – concerning a rich widow, and her countrymen's attempt to keep her money in the principality by finding her the right husband – on an 1861 comedy play,...
, Ibsen
Henrik Ibsen
Henrik Ibsen was a major 19th-century Norwegian playwright, theatre director, and poet. He is often referred to as "the father of prose drama" and is one of the founders of Modernism in the theatre...
characters such as "Bishop Nikolas" and "Gregers Werle", the Bjørnson
Bjørnstjerne Bjørnson
Bjørnstjerne Martinius Bjørnson was a Norwegian writer and the 1903 Nobel Prize in Literature laureate. Bjørnson is considered as one of The Four Greats Norwegian writers; the others being Henrik Ibsen, Jonas Lie, and Alexander Kielland...
character "Paul Lange", and "Fedja" in Tolstoy's play The Living Corpse
The Living Corpse
The Living Corpse is a Russian play by Leo Tolstoy. Although written around 1900, it was only published shortly after his death—Tolstoy had never considered the work finished...
. The height of his career was "Hamlet" in Shakespeare's tragedy
Hamlet
The Tragical History of Hamlet, Prince of Denmark, or more simply Hamlet, is a tragedy by William Shakespeare, believed to have been written between 1599 and 1601...
, a role he played first time in 1921.
Schanche was an honorary member of the Swedish Union for Theatre, Artists and Media. He was a Knight of the Swedish Order of Vasa
Order of Vasa
The Royal Order of Vasa was a Swedish Royal order of chivalry, awarded to citizens of Sweden for service to state and society especially in the fields of agriculture, mining and commerce. It was instituted on 29 May 1772 by King Gustav III of Sweden...
, and was decorated Knight, First Class of the Royal Norwegian Order of St. Olav in 1937.