Theatre of Denmark

For Ibsen and his contemporaries, drama was not a question of entertainment but an exercise in critical commentary on the lifestyle of the times.

Kjeld Abell (1901–1961), the first Danish modernist playwright, wrote the successful The Melody That Got Lost in 1935 with productions in both Copenhagen and London.

Carl Erik Soya (1896–1983) is remembered especially for his anti-Nazi plays such as En Gæst (A Guest) a satire aimed against the German occupation of Denmark and in 1943, Min Farmors Hus (made into the 1984 film Grandmother's House).

Leif Panduro (1923–1977) wrote a number of plays, some filmed or televised, criticising the middle class, the welfare state and the conflict between normal and abnormal, often questioning the views generally shared by the audience.

Bent Fabricius-Bjerre's musical Matador with lyrics by Clemens Telling based on an earlier, highly successful television series was premiered at the new Copenhagen Opera in June 2007 to full houses.