August Events: Head to the theatre for Beckett, Bottom and Blixen era Kenya

Happy Days
Sep 3-25, 20:00; Teatret ved sorte Hest, Vesterbrogade 150, Cph V; 205 kroner, teaterbilletter.dk
Sue Hansen-Styles and Nathan Meister from Why Not Theatre bring Samuel Beckett’s play Happy Days, originally written in 1962, back to life on stage in Vesterbro. The play has lost none of its resonance, as it perfectly lampoons our globalised world with a darkly humorous approach. Advocates of absurdist theatre will surely get their money’s worth.

Miss Julie’s Happy Valley
Aug 26-29, 20:00-21:30; Folketeatret, Nørregade 39, Cph K; 175 kroner, folketeatret.dk
Set in Karen Blixen era Kenya under British rule during the first half of the last century, Michael Omoke has adapted August Strinberg’s class warfare play Miss Julie, basing the title character on Alice de Janzé, a socialite whose story was told in the 1980s film ‘White Mischief’. The ‘Happy Valley Set’ back then was anything but!

A Midsummer Night’s Dream
ongoing, ends Aug 24, Mon-Sat 19:00-20:45; Botanical Gardens, Gothersgade 128, Cph K; 299 kroner, billetto.dk
As if a visit to the Botanical Gardens isn’t enough of a highlight on its own, this evening with After Hours Theatre Company is the stuff dreams are made of. Bring a picnic basket and a blanket and enter a setting that is second to none to enjoy Shakespeare’s all-time classic. Last year, CPH POST gave the production a six-star review.

Crafts and Design Fair
Aug 12-14, 10:00-19:00; Frue Plads, Cph K; free adm; dkod.dk
Over the span of three days, Frue Plads will be the stage for the Crafts and Design Fair where visitors can catch a glimpse of celebrated Danish design showcased by 130 professionals, including furniture, textiles, ceramics, glass and jewellery.

Copenhagen Summer Festival
ongoing, ends Aug 19; Charlottenborg Festsal, Kongens Nytorv, Cph K; 160 kroner per concert, copenhagensummerfestival.dk
Come and see the finest collection of classical music’s rising stars at a breathtaking venue that couldn’t be any more dreamy. Over the span of 12 consecutive days, Charlottenborg Festsal will host an international line-up performing various classical recitals. Some will be free entry.

King of Dinosaurs
ongoing, ends Dec 31; Natural History Museum of Denmark, Oster Voldgade 5-7, Cph K; 50-105 kroner, snm.ku.dk
It’s probably everybody’s childhood dream to see a T-Rex. Four metres high, 12 metres long and 66 million years old, ‘Tristan Otto’ is one of the most complete T-Rex fossils in the world. In resplendent black, and almost all his teeth intact, there’s no disputing that this is the ‘King of Dinosaurs’ exhibited in all its skeletal glory.

Uhørt Festival
Aug 19-22; Cph Skatepark, Enghavevej 80-82, Cph V, 180-200 kroner
Take a chance and try out the ninth edition of Uhort Festival. It’s all about Denmark’s most promising music newcomers – so it doesn’t really matter whether you’re a connoisseur or just enjoy a laid-back atmosphere with some good tunes ringing in your ears.

‘Mother!’ last chance
ongoing, ends Aug 29; Louisiana Museum of Modern Art, Humlebaek; 145 kroner, louisiana.dk
This homage to motherhood co-curated by Marie Laurberg and Kirsten Degel offers visitors a deeply personal experience – after all, we can all relate to it! Our CPH POST reviewer gave it five stars, remarking: “It forces you to take a good hard look at yourself. It’s personal … do you get it now?”

Copenhagen Cooking
Aug 20-29; various venues; copenhagencooking.dk
More than 90,000 people are expected to join the communal celebration of Copenhagen’s critically acclaimed food scene.

Hamlet
Aug 26; Rosenborg Castle, Oster Voldgate, Cph K; 195-295 kroner; hamlettours.com
The castle touring theatre company is dropping in at Rosenborg Castle once again, this time with a staging of Hamlet. Makes you wonder if they’d be better off at Kronborg. It was after all set there!

Kulturhavn Fest
Aug 27-29; across the city; free adm; kulturhavnprogram.dk
For 20 consecutive years, Kulturhavn Fest has been breathing life into the city’s most beautiful waterfronts with all kinds of artistic performances. This year, it includes a special on location performance of That Theatre’s ‘The Visit’.

Bellahøj Open Stage
Aug 19-21, 18:00-00:00; Bellahoj Amfiteater, Bellahojvej 20, Cph NV; 90-440 kroner
The self-proclaimed most beautiful festival of Copenhagen offers a line-up living up to the title: 1960s rock band the Savage Rose and the likes of Rigmor and Faber in amongst the nature. A Woodstock-esque experience awaits.

Copenhagen Opera Festival
Aug 19-28; various venues across Cph; 50-300 kroner; operafestival.dk
After a pandemic break in 2020, the city will for nine consecutive days transform into a stage for everything operatic. Whether this involves modern or classic takes on the genre, depends on where you choose to go. Tickets can be purchased off the webpage of the festival, although free events are often staged at Den Røde Plads in Nørrebro.

Strøm Festival
Aug 11-14; Kødboderne 30, Cph V; prices vary, get your tickets at strm.dk
Denmark’s best loved electronic music festival will again take over Frederiksberg and Vesterbro with events that are mostly free of charge. However, most of the headliners, such as Robert Henke’s audiovisual art show, will set you back 250 kroner.

Amagerbanen Day
Aug 22, 11.00-17:00; Amagerbanen along Uplandsgade, Cph S; free adm
Hygge is probably the best known Danish term there is, but hardly anyone can really explain what it means. So why not experience it first-hand at Amagerbanens Day? You’ll sure have a real hyggelig time enjoying historic wanderings, local history talks, jazz, and much more.