Birgitte Nystrøm was born in Greenland, and grew up in Greenland and Denmark. She trained as an actor at Statens Teaterskole (The Danish National School of Theatre).
Birgitte has worked extensively in Danish theatre, radio and television. Her work includes 5 years as Actor in Residence and Board Member of Copenhagen’s Cafeteatret and 12 years as a member of Turnus Theatre Company.
She has worked extensively with improvisation as a method of generating material for the theatre, resulting in award winning plays and critically acclaimed shows. She has had a long running collaboration with the business world using improvisation techniques for the purpose of training communication skills.
Birgitte currently works as an actor, writer and director. She is based in London.
Member of the British Actors’ Equity Association, Dansk Skuespillerforbund (The Danish Actors’ Association) Skuespillerforeningen af 1879 (The Actors’ Association of 1879).
Theatre
| Production / Character | Company | Director |
|---|---|---|
| A MIDSUMMER NIGHT’S DREAM / AASARISSERUTTORAA… Director |
The National Theatre of Greenland | Birgitte Nystrøm |
| KLIMA OG MILJØ (Climate and Environment) Energy Activist (Corporate) |
The Royal Theatre, Copenhagen | Kristian Højland |
| PÅ HERRENS MARK (Without a Paddle) Lead role |
Husets Teater, Copenhagen | Anders Nyborg |
| GLEMSLENS KYS (Kiss of Oblivion) Sylvia Rostlob |
Husets Teater, Copenhagen | Søren Iversen |
| TRUTH IS A STYLE Director |
CafeTeatret, Copenhagen; Young Vic, London | Birgitte Nystrøm |
| VINTEREVENTYR (A Winter’s Tale) One woman show |
Danish national tour | |
| DEN FØRSTE VERDEN (The First World) Else |
Rialto Teatret, Husets Teater, Copenhagen; National tour | Søren Iversen |
| MANDEN FRA AUSTRALIEN (The Man from Australia) Ellinor |
CafeTeatret, Copenhagen | Niels Skjoldager |
| FASHION Liz |
Kanonhallen, Copenhagen | Carsten Grønning |
| CHICK SHOW 2 Lead role |
Husets Teater/Park Cafe, Copenhagen; National Tour | Claus Bue |
| CHICK SHOW Lead role |
Comediehuset The Royal Theatre; National Tour | Madelaine Røn Juul/Søren Iversen |
| EN VINTERAFTEN I UFA (A Winter Evening in UFA) Olga |
Husets Teater, Copenhagen | Line Krogh |
| MELODY GRAND PRIX Singer |
Hansen, Turnus, Albertslund | Steen Haakon |
| MIO MIN MIO (Mio, My Son) Mio |
Aveny Teatret, Kalejdoskopet, Copenhagen; National Tour | Ulla Gottlieb |
| I VIRKELIGHEDEN (In Reality) Anita |
Kalejdoskopet, Copenhagen | Julia Mclean/Rikke Wølck |
| DER GROR IKKE MOS PÅ EN RACERBANE (No Moss grows on a Racingcourse) Sasha |
Danish National Tour | Rikke Wølck |
| NÅR BALLET ER FORBI (When the Ball is Over) Anne-Grete Lænkholm |
Turnus Teatret, Saltlageret, Copenhagen; National Tour; Nordisk Festival | Søren Iversen |
| KYS DE HÅRDE DRENGE (Kiss the Tough Boys) Molly |
Turnus Teatret Copenhagen; National Tour | Claus Bue |
| VOYAGE VERS LES OMBRES VERTES Monologue in French |
Le Fanal, Paris | Annelise Gabold |
| LØGNEN (The Lie) Resident lead actor |
CafeTeatret, Copenhagen | |
| KARAMBOLE Resident lead actor |
CafeTeatret, Copenhagen | |
| LA CANTRATRICE CHAUVE Resident lead actor |
CafeTeatret, Copenhagen | |
| OG DOG EKSISTERER STATEN I MIT HOVED (The State still exsists in my Head) Resident lead actor |
CafeTeatret, Copenhagen | Jean Leander |
| 2% Resident lead actor |
CafeTeatret, Copenhagen | Palle Skibelund |
| TRIVSLERNES HÆRGEN I DE NORDLIGE PROVINSER (The Do-gooders Ravage of the Northern Provinces) Resident lead actor |
CafeTeatret, Copenhagen | Gotha Andersen |
| LUK DØREN OG HOLD KÆFT (Shut the Door and Shut Up) Resident lead actor |
CafeTeatret, Copenhagen | Sejer Andersen |
| FLYGTNINGESAMTALER (Refugee Conversations) Resident lead actor |
CafeTeatret, Copenhagen | |
| JO MERE VI ER SAMMEN (The more We are Together) Resident lead actor |
CafeTeatret, Copenhagen | Gotha Andersen |
| GENTLEMANTYVEN (The Gentleman Thief) Resident lead actor |
CafeTeatret, Copenhagen | |
| ANDOMAKE Resident lead actor |
CafeTeatret, Copenhagen | |
| BAKTERIER I BLUES (Bacteria in Blues) Resident lead actor |
CafeTeatret, Copenhagen | Lars Knutzon |
| HR. BARNETT (Mr. Barnet) Resident lead actor |
CafeTeatret, Copenhagen | Ole Ernst |
Television, Film, Radio & Video
| Production / Character | Company | Writer / Director |
|---|---|---|
| I GANG Writer / Director (27 episodes) |
Videofilm IA Copenhagen | Birgitte Nystrøm |
| DOG Molly |
Slade, UK tour screening; Inlandartfestival Cornwall | Marianna Simnett |
| DOCTORS (Corporate) Hope Forcure |
Roche, vrco/ov6productions | Vaughan Richards |
| YOU CAN TRY BUT YOU’LL NEVER BE MY MOTHER Mother |
Slade, London | Marianna Simnett |
| SEGMENTATION (Corporate) Doctor |
Tower Bridge Studios | Vaughan Richards |
| C’MON COPENHAGEN (Spoof rock documentary) Teacher |
MTV | Chris Nelson |
| DE FORENEDE SNEDRIVER (The United Snowdrifts) PA / Co-director |
Videofilm IA Copenhagen | Newstream/Coles (co-director) |
| SKOLEGADE 12, No 1 & 2 Annie / Co-director |
Videofilm IA Copenhagen | Newstream/Coles (co-director) |
| STATE OF BLISS (Film) Mother |
The Danish Film Institute | Kenneth Sperling |
| POSTCARDS FROM IRELAND Lead role / Co-director |
DSF (Danish Actors Association) | Co-directed with Martin Coles |
| ØRESUNDSBROEN (TV Commercial for bridge between Denmark and Sweden) Mother |
Scandivision | |
| SIRENESANG I VILDNISSET (Song of Sirenes in the Wilderness) (TV series) Mother |
DR 1 (Denmark National Television) | Bolette Bernild |
| SATIRE PÅ P4 (Satire on P4) (Radio) Actor and Writer |
DR 1 (Denmark National Radio) | Jens Ole Rasmussen |
Acting in Business
Birgitte Nystrøm uses improvisation as a tool in a working relationship with various business led organisations, looking at training and developing communication skills for personnel at different levels, from directorial and managerial to sales and customer service.
A striking thing within training processes, where case scenarios are used as the primary tool, is how much any observer perceives, that is, how much they are able to tell when focusing on what goes on in a conversation, how accurate they read the non verbal or body language and how they detect every annoyance and every insincerity. Contrary to what some people believe, this effective form of training is not about “how to get away with it”, but rather it is about becoming aware of the underlying human interactions.
The training therefore has a laboratory-like context, where the personnel have the advantage of interaction with a professional actor and are able to safely try things out in a situation that is as realistic or “life like” as possible. In this environment the participants can detect patterns that might otherwise have remained hidden and can gain both insight and empathy for themselves and their colleagues or employees.
On a personal level this work has given me the freedom to play all sorts of characters and receive varying reactions that would have been impossible to script.
Clients include:
- Danske Bank (1996–2014)
- Nykredit (2003–19/21)
- Nordea (2009–17)
- Frøs Herreds Sparekasse (Winner: The Guardian ‘Best Workplace’ 2011)
- KPMG (2004–10)
- Bang & Olufsen (Denmark / Sweden) (1996–2001)
- Peugeot (2005-09)
- DaimlerChrysler/ Mercedes Benz (DK/Sweden) (1997–2001)
- Energinet (1998–2010)
- Vestas (2005-2009)
- Karlebo Kommune
- Albertslund Kommune.
- ILVA
- Indbohome
- Expert
- Sonofon
- Fair Forsikring
- If forsikring
- Larsen HR Development
- Eventforce
- DB Assurandør
- Pharmacon
- Novo Nordisk
- Roche
- Blue Water
- TG training
- AU Training
- Alomentor
- Cultivator
- O2 Oehlenschlæger
TEACHING, RESEARCH & AWARDS
Teaching work includes
- Shakespeare text and improvisation skills, taught alongside Jennie Buckman, National Theatre, Nuuk, Greenland, 2018
- Acting technique and Improvisation skills, The New Drama Centre, Copenhagen 1996/97
- Improvisation courses, Vendsyssel Egnsteater 1994
Funded research tours
- Ireland: Study tour to Dublin and Galway, Glengariff 1995/ 1996.
This was an inspiration and early research for “Postcards From Ireland” a videofilm based on “Seeing Things” (1991) by Seamus Heaney co-directed with Martin Coles, funded by Dansk Skuespillerforbund (Danish Actors’ Association) 1999 - Australia: Study tour to the Aboriginal communities west of Alice Springs, Pintubi country, the Gibson dessert and Docker River, 1986/87. Sponsored by the Danish Theatre Council, Danish Actors’ Association and Walt Rosenberg Legatet.
Birgitte has a BA in Social Anthropology from the University of Copenhagen where she became interested in the Australian Aboriginals’ notion of the Dreaming having among others read the Australian essayist and anthropologist W.E.H. Stanner. (She studied while working at CafeTeatret in Copenhagen before entering Drama School). An article about the journey was published in the daily Danish newspaper “Politiken” and the work was instrumental in providing the background and source material for an original play by Danish dramatist and writer Henning Mortensen, ‘The Man from Australia’. It premiered at CafeTeatret in 1992 where Birgitte Nystrom played Elinor and was directed by Niels Skjoldager. - Paris: Study tour sponsored by the Danish Theatre Council, visiting among others Theatre du Soleil which resulted in the play “I Virkeligheden” (In Reality). Actor and co-writer, performed at Kalejdoskopet Copenhagen 1984
Awards
- Walt Rosenberg Legat (1988)
- Georg Phillipps Fond (2001)
- Kirsten Hindborgs Hæderslegat (Grant of Honour) 2011
ADDITIONAL TRAINING
- Nadine George Voice and Shakespeare, Sadler’s Wells, 2017
- “Presence” Voice/Shakespeare masterclass with Patsy Rodenburg, Den Danske Scenekunstskole Copenhagen 2015, 2016
- Voice training with basis in Shakespeare, RADA London 2011
- Courses in RP at the Actor’s Centre London 2007