This week we opened Antigone in Rome. It’s not often you feel like you’re working on something that truly matters. It’s been an honour to spend the past seven weeks working alongside this incredible group of artists, trying to get under the skin of our time – so painfully articulated in this almost 3,000-year-old text by Sophocles.
It’s always been a privilege to work in the arts, and perhaps now more than ever. I’m so grateful for the opportunity.
Thank you EVERYONE – on and off stage – for the relentless dedication you’ve poured into this piece. I’m deeply moved and inspired by all of you. Thank you for the sincerity and incredible beauty you bring to the stage. Your heart and soul are in this work – and that is more than I could’ve asked for.
Takk.
ANTIGONE
a creation by ALAN LUCIEN ØYEN
with ENOCH GRUBB, DOUGLAS LETHEREN, PASCAL MARTY, ANTONIN MONIÉ, NAZARETH PANADERO, HÉLÉNA PIKON, JULIE SHANAHAN, FERNANDO SUELS MENDOZA, MENG-KE WU
produced by WINTER GUESTS in co-production with
FONDAZIONE TEATRO DI ROMA
THE NORWEGIAN OPERA AND BALLET
supported by
ARTS COUNCIL NORWAY
CITY OF BERGEN
Rehearsal space in kind support received from PINA BAUSCH ZENTRUM
direction/choreography ALAN LUCIEN ØYEN
creative collaborators ANDREW WALE/DANIEL PROIETTO
set ÅSMUND FÆRAVAAG
costume STINE SJØGREN
light MARTIN FLACK
sound GUNNAR INNVÆR
video MATHIAS GRØNSDAL
technical manager CHRIS SANDERS
stage manager DANIEL HONES
wardrobe manager ANNA LENA DRESIA
executive producer ESSAR GABRIEL
producers ORNELLA SALLOUM /for winter guests: Syv mil v/TORA DE ZWART RØRHOLT/INGRID SALTVIK FAANES
still photography MATS BÄCKER
@alanlucien@winterguests@fondazioneteatrodiroma@operaen_@danielproietto@andre_wale_instant@asmundfaeravaag@enoch.grubb@neverwonderdownonyourknees@antoninmonie@n_panadero1976@shanbehr@mengkewu_ig@stinesjogren@barabass@mathiasgronsdal@matsbacker@ornellasalloum@syvmil@ingridalgoria@tora.rorholt@kulturdir
#Antigone #Sophocles #contemporarytheatre #tanztheater #contemporarydance #winterguests #teatroargentina #fondazioneteatrodiroma #norwegianoperaandballet
Working on Antigone is devastating.
This 3000 year old tragedy, by Sophocles, is still painfully fresh.
Have we learned nothing?
We live in times marked by fear and uncertainty. Determined voices scream with blind conviction, but is anyone actually listening? We talk with our headphones on. And if we listen, it’s through third-party podcasts that curate our opinions. We’re shouting where we’re already heard, but ignored where it matters. The middle ground has become a no-man’s land.
So who’s right, and who’s wrong?
Antigone is truly a debate for our time - an ongoing battle for dignity and humanity.
Our version doesn’t stage the text, but looks to unearth its meaning - breaking ground to see what still resonates. Exploring the themes of the play through physical poetry, spoken word, and moments that reflect our own, fractured world.
This work feels important and necessary. I’m grateful to be allowed to make art in this moment - with this ensemble of artists.
ANTIGONE
with ENOCH GRUBB, DOUGLAS LETHEREN, PASCAL MARTY, ANTONIN MONIÉ, NAZARETH PANADERO, HÉLÉNA PIKON, JULIE SHANAHAN, FERNANDO SUELS MENDOZA, MENG-KE WU
direction/choreography ALAN LUCIEN ØYEN creative collaborators ANDREW WALE/DANIEL PROIETTO
set ÅSMUND FÆRAVAAG costume STINE SJØGREN
light MARTIN FLACK sound GUNNAR INNVÆR
video MATHIAS GRØNSDAL technical manager CHRIS SANDERS stage manager DANIEL HONES wardrobe manager ANNA LENA DRESIA executive producer ESSAR GABRIEL producers ORNELLA SALLOUM /for winter guests: Syv mil v/TORA DE ZWART RØRHOLT/INGRID SALTVIK FAANES
still photography MATS BÄCKER
produced by WINTER GUESTS in co-production with FONDAZIONE TEATRO DI ROMA / THE NORWEGIAN OPERA AND BALLET
supported by ARTS COUNCIL NORWAY / CITY OF BERGEN Rehearsal space in kind support received from PINA BAUSCH ZENTRUM
@winterguests@fondazioneteatrodiroma@operaen_@alanlucien@danielproietto@andre_wale_instant@enoch.grubb@neverwonderdownonyourknees@antoninmonie@n_panadero1976@shanbehr@mengkewu_ig@stinesjogren@barabass@mathiasgronsdal@matsbacker@ornellasalloum@syvmil@ingridalgloria@tora.rorholt
Congratulations to Alan and the winter guests team on the nomination for Beste musikkteaterforestilling for Pelléas et Mélisande at @bergennasjonaleopera
The Heddaprisen is Norway's highest honour for the performing arts, awarded annually for outstanding work on the Norwegian stage. It's a great honour for Alan and the whole team.
"This production creates intensity through restraint – a rare quality in this art form. In an understated and stylistically assured direction, soloists and orchestra open vast rooms for listening."
- Hedda jury, 2026
Congratulation also to @sofianesjeenger on her nomination for Beste sceneprestasjon – musikkteater. 🤍
--
PELLÉAS ET MÉLISANDE Bergen Nasjonale Opera,
Artistic Director: @eivindgj
Direction: @alanlucien
Maestro: @dinispsousa
Set design: @asmundfaeravaag
Costume design: @stinesjogren
Lighting design: Martin Flack
📸 Monika Kolstad / @bergennasjonaleopera@heddadagene
#Heddaprisen #Heddaprisen2026 #PelleasEtMelisande #BergenNasjonaleOpera #winterguestsCreativeTeam
Alan is visiting Epidaurus ahead of bringing «Antigone» home to the Athens Epidaurus Festival this summer.
«This space is pure energy. A place where the spiritual and the theatrical have always been one.»
We can’t wait. August 7 & 8
Thank you to @athensepidaurusfestival for taking such wonderful care of him.
Άλαν Λουσιέν Όγεν | Η πρώτη συνέντευξη του Νορβηγού δημιουργού με αφορμή την παράσταση «Αντιγόνη»
Ένας από τους πιο ανήσυχους σύγχρονους χορογράφους, συγγραφείς και σκηνοθέτες της Νορβηγίας, ο Άλαν Λουσιέν Όγεν, μοιράζεται τις σκέψεις του για την παράσταση «Αντιγόνη», που θα παρουσιαστεί στο Αρχαίο Θέατρο Επιδαύρου στις 7 και 8 Αυγούστου.
Από τους πρώτους που προσκλήθηκε να δημιουργήσει ένα νέο, ολοκληρωμένο έργο μετά τον θάνατο της Pina Bausch, o Όγεν μιλάει στη Μάρω Βασιλειάδου και την εφημερίδα ΚΑΘΗΜΕΡΙΝΗ. Όπως λέει ο ίδιος, «εάν ο θεατής γνωρίζει την ιστορία της Αντιγόνης θα την αναγνωρίσει απολύτως στην παράσταση. Όλες οι σκηνές υπάρχουν εκεί, ειπωμένες όμως με έναν διαφορετικό τρόπο».
Με τον πόλεμο να βρίσκεται στο επίκεντρο, η παράσταση μας προσκαλεί να αναλογιστούμε τις ακραίες σύγχρονες καταστάσεις, φέρνοντας την αρχαία τραγωδία αντιμέτωπη με τον σημερινό κόσμο, μέσα από «ένα υβριδικό λεξιλόγιο κίνησης και λόγου που εκφράζει όσα τραγικά εξιστορεί ο Σοφοκλής για τα τέκνα του Οιδίποδα».
–
Alan Lucien Øyen | The Norwegian creator’s first interview on the occasion of the performance “Antigone”
One of Norway’s most restless contemporary choreographers, writers, and directors, Alan Lucien Øyen, shares his thoughts on the performance “Antigone,” which will be presented at the Ancient Theatre of Epidaurus on August 7 and 8.
Among the first artists invited to create a new, full-length work following the death of Pina Bausch, Øyen speaks with Maro Vasileiadou for the newspaper Kathimerini. As he notes, “if the audience is familiar with the story of Antigone, they will fully recognize it in the performance. All the scenes are there, but told in a different way.”
With war at its core, the performance invites us to reflect on extreme contemporary realities, confronting ancient tragedy with today’s world through “a hybrid vocabulary of movement and speech that expresses the tragic events Sophocles recounts about the children of Oedipus.”
📷: Mats Bäcker
#AEF26 #AthensEpidaurusFestival
«ΑΝΤΙΓΟΝΗ» – ALAN LUCIEN ØYEN | 7 & 8 Αυγούστου, Αρχαίο Θέατρο Επιδαύρου
«Σε έναν κόσμο που χαρακτηρίζεται από αυξανόμενη αβεβαιότητα, αγωνιζόμαστε για όσα πιστεύουμε. Τι είναι ο ανθρώπινος πολιτισμός χωρίς σεβασμό; Χωρίς την αξιοπρέπεια των άλλων; Όσοι παρακολουθούν την παγκόσμια πολιτική ίσως το ανακαλύψουν σύντομα».
Ο Άλαν Λουσιέν Όγεν φέρνει στην Επίδαυρο μια «Αντιγόνη» που ‘αναπνέει’ μέσα στις πολλαπλές προκλήσεις του σήμερα. Δεν πρόκειται για μια απλή αναδιήγηση του μύθου, αλλά για μια ριζοσπαστική επανερμηνεία, που έρχεται αντιμέτωπη με τα άλυτα διλήμματα της εξουσίας και το ανθρώπινο κόστος της σύγκρουσης.
🎞️Πλάνα αρχείου από την προετοιμασία των χορευτών του θρυλικού Tanztheater Wuppertal Pina Bausch και των winter guests.
Κλείστε το εισιτήριό σας στο link στο bio.
---
"ANTIGONE" – ALAN LUCIEN ØYEN | August 7 & 8, Ancient Theatre of Epidaurus
"In a world defined by increasing uncertainty, we fight for what we believe in. What is human civilization without respect? Without the dignity of others? Those watching global politics may soon find out".
Alan Lucien Øyen brings to #Epidaurus an "Antigone" that breathes through the manifold challenges of today. This is not a simple retelling of the myth, but a radical reinterpretation that confronts the unresolved dilemmas of power and the human cost of conflict.
🎞️ Archive footage from the rehearsals of the legendary Tanztheater Wuppertal and the winter guests.
Book your tickets at the link in bio.
#AEF2026 #AthensEpidaurusFestival #AncientTheatreofEpidaurus
OFFICIAL TRAILER FOR ANTIGONE
Sound on.
We’re so excited to share the official trailer for Antigone before the first performances of the season in Hong Kong.
So grateful to bring this piece, the fabulous cast, and the important questions it holds to the other side of the world.
March 6–7
Hong Kong Arts Festival
More dates to follow.
Video edit: @svjfilm
-
@hkartsfestival@winterguests@alanlucien@fondazioneteatrodiroma@operaen_@danielproietto@andrew_wale_instant@stinesjogren@asmundfaeravaag@barabass@mathiasgronsdal@matsbacker@enoch.grubb@greg_lau@leeyuan.tu@riley.oflynn@neverwonderdownonyourknees@antoninmonie@n_panadero1976@shanbehr@mengkewu_ig@ornellasalloum@syvmil@pinabauschzentrum
ANTIGONE
a creation by ALAN LUCIEN ØYEN
with ENOCH GRUBB, DOUGLAS LETHEREN, PASCAL MARTY, ANTONIN MONIÉ, NAZARETH PANADERO, HÉLÉNA PIKON, JULIE SHANAHAN, FERNANDO SUELS MENDOZA, MENG-KE WU
produced by WINTER GUESTS in co-production with
FONDAZIONE TEATRO DI ROMA
THE NORWEGIAN OPERA AND BALLET
supported by
ARTS COUNCIL NORWAY
CITY OF BERGEN
Rehearsal space in kind support received from PINA BAUSCH ZENTRUM
direction/choreography ALAN LUCIEN ØYEN
creative collaborators ANDREW WALE / DANIEL PROIETTO
set ÅSMUND FÆRAVAAG
costume STINE SJØGREN
light MARTIN FLACK
sound GUNNAR INNVÆR
video MATHIAS GRØNSDAL
technical manager CHRIS SANDERS
stage manager DANIEL HONES
wardrobe manager ANNA LENA DRESIA
executive producer ESSAR GABRIEL
producers ORNELLA SALLOUM / for winter guests: Syv mil v/TORA DE ZWART RØRHOLT / INGRID SALTVIK FAANES
still photography MATS BÄCKER
Jeg er veldig gledelig overrasket, og utelukkende takknemlig for å motta Pernillestatuetten fra Bergen Teaterforening. Det er en stor ære !
Det er intet mindre enn et privilegium å få lov å jobbe med “kunst”. Jeg tar det ikke for gitt. Spesielt ikke idag.
Scenekunst er i sin kjerne et sosialt prosjekt. Det er ikke et arbeid jeg gjør alene.
Denne anerkjennelsen er derfor et uttrykk for alt arbeidet som legges ned av alle de fantastiske kunstnerne jeg er så heldig å få lov til å samarbeide med hver dag.
Tusen takk! Til Bergen Teaterforening for prisen, Den Nationale Scene, Bergen Nationale Opera, Festspillene i Bergen, Carte Blanche, Cornerteatret og sist men ikke minst BIT-teatergarasjen – for at jeg har fått mulighet til å vise forestillingene våre og utvikle kunstnerskapet winter guests – i Bergen.
Og Go go go ! til alle dere som fortsetter å stå opp for scenekunsten og kulturen hjemme på vestlandet. Jeg er stolt av å være en del av dette fellesskapet.
@bergennasjonaleopera@carteblancheno@bit.teater@festspillene@cornerteateret@bergenteaterforening
Her Voice reaches its final night.
What unfolded on stage was an act of listening —
to Nina Simone’s voice,
to its weight, its clarity, its insistence on truth.
Bodies staying close to what her voice carries,
held with care by everyone involved in this work.
Deep gratitude to the artists, musicians and collaborators
who gave this piece their presence,
and to Maison de la Musique de Nanterre
for welcoming Her Voice with trust and attention.
And to our audience —
your presence transformed each performance into something deeply shared.
Thank you for meeting this work with openness and care.
Some voices don’t end when the lights go out.
They remain.
📍 Maison de la Musique de Nanterre
🗓 Final performance
Her Voice
Choreography: @alanlucien & @danielproietto
Dancers: @marion_barbeau , @shelmithseth & @danielproietto
Piano: @mariaradutu
Electric Guitar: @andreas.erd
Drums: @andisenn
Sound: @mathiasgronsdal
Arrangements: bernhardeder.composerconductor
Lighting Design: @m12sigve
Sinnerman costume design @stinesjogren
Seamstress @eli_o711
Producer @irhanase
Edit: @tfmauroleus
Produced by: @knownation_official
Co- Produced by @rumfordans , @kungsbackateater & @maisondelamusiquenanterre / Supported by: @utenriksdept \ @performingartshubnorway
Photos by: @duylau.pix
