“The costumes are deliciously daft, so colourful and flashy that the many costume changes become a little comedy in themselves. The clothes are designed by the Greek Takis, who is also responsible for the set” — Dagbladet (translated from Norwegian)

“The revolving scenery is circular abstract looking. It moves fluently, and a very nice extra touch to have it move in multiple directions. The abstract patterns from the scenery is also displayed in the costumes.” — Broadway World, Christian Ranke

“Everyone on stage delivers with great precision, the band plays beautifully and the costumes sparkle.” — NRK (translated from Norwegian)

Optimist | Chateau Neuf, Oslo, 2019

World premiere musical built on the songs of Jahn Teigen, Norway’s beloved pop icon who represented the country at Eurovision three times and became a national cultural figure. The musical comedy featured book by Øystein Wiik and was directed by Mattias Carlsson, with choreography by Simen Gloppen and lighting design by Anders Busch. Produced by StarWorks, Taran, Teigen Total, and Eventyrlie.

takis designed sets and costumes that captured the spirit of Teigen’s career—spanning decades of Norwegian pop culture, from the glam rock 1970s through television fame. The production wove together 20 of Teigen’s most famous songs into a narrative celebrating his irrepressible optimism and enduring influence on Norwegian entertainment. The design needed to serve both the musical numbers and the storytelling, creating worlds that reflected the evolution of Norwegian popular culture.

Chateau Neuf, Det Norske Studentersamfund’s historic venue at the University of Oslo, provided an intimate setting for this tribute to a performer who defined Norwegian pop music for generations. The production sold out its run.

Production page: Chateau Neuf, Oslo · Reviews: Broadway World, NRK