Translated by Charles Archer
In 1851, Ibsen moved to Bergen to work at the Det norske Theater to assist as a ‘dramatic author’. In the course of his six years in Bergen, he wrote and had staged six of his plays. He also worked as a stage director and in this manner acquired insight into all facets of the theatre profession. In Bergen he met Suzannah Daae Thoresen, whom he later married and with whom he fathered his only son Sigurd.
Lady Inger of Oestraat was written during Ibsen’s period as director at the Det norske Theater. In October 1854 he handed the completed script to Peter Blytt, claiming it was a manuscript of a historical drama sent to him by a friend in Christiania, who wished to remain anonymous and would like it to be performed on the Bergen stage, if it was considered worthy of acceptance. Having released two flops, Ibsen’s self-esteem was at a low level, explaining his concealment of his authorship. Blytt was enthusiastic about the script and the board of Det norske Theater agreed that the play was suitable for the projected gala performance on January 2, 1855 on the occasion of the theatre’s fifth anniversary.
In working on this play, Ibsen used several historical sources, with particular interest in the Danish-Norwegian union. Two publications by Danish historians are thought to have played a special role in Ibsen’s play: Caspar Paludan-Müller’s work Grevens feide: skildret efter trykte og utrykte Kilder (“The Count’s Feud, from printed and unprinted sources”), published in two volumes in 1853/54, and volume one of Samlinger til det Norske Folks Sprog og Historie (“Collections on the Language and History of the Norwegian People”), published in 1833. The former contains a description of Ingerd Ottisdatter’s attempt to start a Norwegian rising in the cause of independence in 1527-28. The latter contains a collection of letters from 1525-29, collected and edited by Professor Gr. F. Lundh. However, Ibsen’s treatment of the historical material is very free, with some critics arguing that it is not in the least an historical work.
Just before the first night, Ibsen involuntarily revealed himself to be the author of the play. An anecdote records that there was an incident during rehearsals when he rushed out of the wings, interrupted Jacob Prom, the actor playing Niels Lykke, in one of his longer speeches, and delivered it himself in the way he thought it should be delivered. This took place without Ibsen looking at the prompter’s script and in such a way that those present could have no doubt that he was the author.
Lady Inger of Oestraat was performed as planned at Det norske Theater on January 2, 1855, but this production was not a success and the public showed less interest than expected, resulting in the play being performed only twice.
The play was inspired by the life of Inger, Lady of Austraat and reflects the birth of Romantic Nationalism in the Norway of that period, which had a strongly anti-Danish sentiment. The drama concerns the Scandinavia of 1510–1540 as the Kalmar Union collapsed, when the impact of the Reformation was becoming evident in Norway and a last desperate struggle was being mounted to maintain Norwegian independence. Its initial sentiments were so strongly anti-Danish that Ibsen ultimately had to tone them down.