Drama in the Diamond I: The Fidget resurrects

Royal Danish Library and Danske Dramatikere are going through the past of Danish drama and giving iconic classics a new life when they are performed by famous actors and subjected to a modern approach. The result is a world premiere of a completely newly written text – perhaps one of the classics of the future.

This evening we pay tribute to Ludvig Holberg's classic Den Stundesløse (English translation: The Fidget) from 1723. With five star actors on stage, we present two different interpretations of Holberg's text: The first part is an excerpt from the classic text, adapted by playwright Jokum Rohde and dramaturg Karen-Maria Bille, and the second part is a modern retelling by the playwright duo Enter Ghost.

Both texts will be performed as staged readings in the Queen's Hall with Christoffer Berdal as director. There will be a short intermission between the two readings.

Artistic duo with a satirical view

Enter Ghost is an artistic collaboration between director and playwright Christian Lollike and playwright Anders Thrue Djurslev. Lollike and Djurslev have previously been behind critically acclaimed new interpretations of Holberg. Lollike with Erasmus Montanus, and both of them with Jeppe på bjerget (English translation: Jeppe on the hill). This third re-writing marks a crucial new chapter in their interpretation of Holberg's comic legacy.

In Enter Ghost's radical and thought-provoking version of The Fidget, the classic marriage intrigue has disappeared and been replaced by a satirical look at contemporary narcissism and boundless self-absorption. It becomes sharp, entertaining and deeply relevant.

Masterpieces of the past are brought to life

Drama in the Diamond is a scenic and sensuous celebration of Royal Danish Library's unique collection of performed drama – a collection that includes more than 18,000 plays. With this initiative, we are resurrecting three classics from each period of theatre history through new interpretations and new drama. The project is part of the library's national initiative Denmark's Dramatic DNA (2024–2027), which aims to digitise and bring Danish drama to life for new generations.