Betty L
Den Spanske Flue is perhaps the most hilarious Norwegian stage play I know. Apart from the Norwegian writer Henrik Ibsen's dominance at the Norwegian National Theatre and the seriousity appertaining to it, the Norwegians have managed to make a truly brilliant version of Bach and Arnold's "Die Spanische Fliege". The talented actress Kjersti Holmen plays the older woman Emma Klinke who is the wife of Ludvig Klinke played by Henki Kolstad who at a real age of 75 does an outstanding performance. Ludvig tries to hide his lascivious past with the spanish dancer(title) Donna Bella Rosita by trying to rid himself of the documents that prove his past. The documents fall into the hands of lawyer Fritz Bergstrøm whom their daughter Paula (Hilde Grythe), is secretly seeing. Meanwhile, Emma Klinke has arranged for Paula to marry a certain Assyriologist named Henrik Meisel (Øivind Blunck) of whom Paula disaprove. He visits the Klinke family to consider Paula for then to ask for her hand in marriage. Nevertheless, by a fatal misunderstanding Henrik believes Paula's cousin Betty Løvberg (Guri Annika Schanke) to be Paula and falls in love with Betty instead. The situation deteriorates to the utmost possible, but ends well...oddly. The cast is superb. Øivind Blunck is extremely funny, and his wife in real life, Guri Schanke, is gorgoeous in the role as Betty as well as she has a fabulous voice that may give you goose bumps at times. A truly entertaining Norwegian production!!!
