Curious about who’s behind all this? Maybe it’s me, maybe it’s you, maybe it’s tra la lei…

Well… actually, it’s Henrik.

Henrik Melsom Edvardsen, a social entrepreneur, is the founder of the Neighborhood Theatre. With over 30 years of experience in the performing arts, Henrik has held various roles since 1987. He trained as a Stage Manager at the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art (RADA) and has studied management at BI Norwegian Business School and Kristiania University College.

National Theatre of Norway

Henrik worked at the National Theatre in Oslo for 19 years. For 13 of those, he was part of the theatre’s executive team, serving as Head of Production and Chief Producer. He was responsible for planning, budgeting, and managing the theatre’s repertoire, as well as overseeing staff across multiple departments.

In his final two years there, Henrik served as Head of International Relations, leading the theatre’s international collaborations, including guest performances in Bratislava, London, Ruhrtriennale, and Amsterdam.

Riksteatret and Stavanger Concert Hall

He has also worked as a tour manager and producer for collaborative productions at Riksteatret (the Norwegian Touring Theatre), and served as project manager for “Fairy Tales in the Landscape” at Rogaland Theatre – the largest artistic project during Stavanger’s year as European Capital of Culture in 2008.

Henrik later became CEO of Stavanger Concert Hall.

The Pandemic Spark

During the COVID-19 lockdowns, while working from home, Henrik began dreaming about creating something new—something that could bring people together, foster belonging, and create pride in the neighborhood.

As soon as restrictions lifted and outdoor gatherings were allowed in 2021, he put his holiday savings into launching the Neighborhood Theatre as a project under his sole proprietorship.

Hakkebakkeskogen

He directed «Klatremus og de andre dyrene i Hakkebakkeskogen» as an outdoor theatre production for the very first time. The cast included children, teenagers, and young adults.

Between 2021 and 2023, a total of 2,500 people experienced the 28 performances—many of them attending their first-ever theatre production, or participating as performers for the very first time.

Now it’s time to share the joy of theatre with even more people.