An Enemy of the People in Oslo

I am a taxi driver and magician. 

I belong to the lady-lovers, the ones who think it’s over when it’s over, the communists, the magicians, the honest ones and the outspoken ones but I do not belong to the pessimists or the religious.

I live in Oslo because I was born here. My father bought an apartment building in Vika and I have lived here ever since. Except for under the war when I had to flee to Sweden.The good thing about Oslo – seen from a taxi driver’s perspective – is the nice people. I don’t know what soundtrack Oslo would be, but I liked very much to dance tango.

I have no relationship with An Enemy of the People by Ibsen. I think it is a partial truth that the strongest man is the one standing most alone.

Many years ago I had a phone conversation with my mother – the last one – which had a profound impact on my life: She said to me that there are more countries in Scandinavia than Norway. I understood what she meant, one had to learn to speak in half sentences in those days. I would never have gone to Sweden if it wasn’t for her. And to this day I regret not encouraging my parents to also flee Norway: I lost both of them in the German concentration camps.

For the performances I am taking a taxi from St. Hanshaugen and on my way I will pass by Our Saviours graveyard to get to the theatre.