At present there are 22 permanent theatres in Norway in addition to the Norwegian Opera, of which the National Theatre - Oslo and the National Theatre - Bergen, the Norwegian Theatre and the Norwegian Touring Theatre (also called Riksteatret), are national institutions funded directly by the Ministry of Culture and Church Affairs. Until 2002 the Sámi National Theatre Company in Kautokeino was also funded directly by the Ministry, but the theatre is now the financial responsibility of the Sametinget (the Sámi parliament).

A network of permanent, publicly-funded regional theatres was established outside the four larger cities during the 1970s with a view to making dramatic art more readily available to people living in rural areas. The original intention was that each county should have its own theatre, but development halted as the economy declined in the 1980s. There are currently 13 Regionsteatre and Landsdelsteatre (Regional Theatres) – Oslo Nye Teater (Oslo New Theatre established in Oslo in 1959), Rogaland Theatre, Stavanger (1947), Trøndelag Theatre - Trondheim (1936), Hålogaland Theatre in Tromsø (1971), Teatret vårt (Our Theatre - Molde, 1972), Teater Ibsen (Ibsen Theatre, Skien, 1975), Sogn and Fjordane Theatre in Førde (1977), Nordland Theatre in Mo (1979), Nye Carte Blanche (New Carte Blanche (NCB) in Bergen,1989), Agder Theatre Ltd in Kristiansand (1991), Haugesund Theatre in Haugesund (1986), Hedmark Theatre in Hamar (1987) and Hordaland Regional Theatre outside Bergen (1988). Nord-Trøndelag Theatre is also a permanent theatre, but is almost entirely locally funded, while the Brageteatret which specialises in performances for young people, and Theatre Manu, a sign-language theatre, also are publicly funded, but on a lesser scale.

Riksteatret (The Norwegian Touring Theatre) was established in 1949 to provide further opportunities for the population living in rural areas to experience dramatic art and to increase awareness of good dramatic art in other suitable ways. The initial idea for a touring theatre agency was suggested in the 1930s when the government first began to display an interest in theatre and the importance of allowing the whole population to participate in the values that could be communicated through dramatic art became recognised. Since its inception, the agency has established itself as an important national institution that presents some 600 performances per year throughout the country.

Established in 1929 and immediately accessible to all regions of the country, the Radio Theatre could perhaps be seen as Norway’s original touring theatre. Theatre performances were also broadcast from the 1960s when studio plays by an ensemble known as Fjernsynsteatret were filmed and distributed weekly via the national broadcasting company Norsk Rikskringkasting (NRK). (Please see Norwegian Broadcasting Corporation (NBC) ). Since 1991 this practice has been superceded by the production of TV movies of Norwegian drama by NRK’s Drama Department.

The tradition of independent theatre groups in Norway slowly started to develop during the 1970s with groups such as Grenland friteater (Grendland Fringe Theatre), Stella Polaris and Saltkompagniet (the Salt Company). Over the next years similar initiatives were launched in Bergen, Oslo, Trondheim and a number of smaller towns throughout the country. In 1978 the various groups joined together to form the umbrella Teatersentrum (Theatre Forum), now the Danse og teatersentrum (Dance and Theatre Forum) in Oslo.

During the 1980s much of the artistic initiative developed from traditional fringe groups into project theatres, a new model for theatre production based on small core groups or individuals initiating separate performances (projects) with artistic personnel changing from project to project. This model was also used by several permanent theatre institutions, and individual repertory theatres and theatre workshops (eg Hedmark Theatre and Haugesund Theatre) were also established. The independent theatre groups have therefore come to represent the non-institutional sector of Norwegian theatre, playing a significant role in Norwegian theatrical life and presenting around one third of the country’s total theatre productions. The Black Box theatre in Oslo, the BIT Teatergarasjen (Bergen International Theatre at the Theatre Garage) and Avantgarden Playhouse, Trondheim are currently the most important venues for independent theatre.

The various initiatives in independent theatre gave rise to two differing approaches: one group favoured project theatre experimenting with new theatrical forms and had links to international performance theatre, where as the other group mainly worked locally, encouraging collaborations between amateurs and professionals. This latter group focussed specifically on developing new audiences for theatre in the regions and created a series of performances for children. Petrusjka Theatre, Dukkenikkerne and Klomadu Teater are examples of companies developing the art of puppetry. Other companies working locally with children´s theatre are Bergen Byspill (who run the Bergen City Play), Bergen familiteater (Bergen Family Theatre), Magna Vox Music Theatre and Opera Omnia.

The first group had its orientation towards performance art and visual art. Among the first performance artists in Norway were Hilmar Fredriksen, Kurt Johannessen and Kjetil Skøien. Johannessen and Fredriksen were based in Bergen, unlike Skøien mainly worked and performed in Oslo and internationally.

Bak-Truppen (Rear garde – the opposite of avant garde) represents company work in this genre. The company was established in Bergen in the mid-1980s and has since become Norway's best known performance company internationally. Baktruppen´s work can best be described as performance theatre and the members' many different talents are combined in a horizontal organisational structure. This is reflected in the performances, which are often marked by improvisation and a strong feeling for the immediate moment and the specific place where the performance is being held.

Verdensteatret (Verdens Theatre) is a Norwegian world theatre project group that has been based in Oslo since 1986. During the first few years they toured with a large circus tent, before making their breakthrough with the groundbreaking October Trilogy. Director Lisbeth Bodd and painter Asle Nilsen have formed the core of Verdensteatret for many years.

Whereas Baktruppen and Verdens Theatre are recognised as pioneers of Norwegian independent theatre, new companies have emerged during the 1990s adding to the scene. Companies such as GM Salong and Mobile Homes both work with references to visual arts. The Bergen-based Transit Theatre blurs the boundaries between theatre, dance and music. De Utvalgte (the chosen ones) has over the last 10 years experimented with mixing video and music to interplay with the performers. Furthermore the British artist Kate Pendry, currently based in Oslo, has established herself as a notable performance artist, mainly working solo. Also the young director Goro Tronsmo with her company Voksne Barn (Grown ups), creates work in a more traditional theatre habit, adding a conscious political agenda.

Oslo and Bergen have traditionally represented the two main arenas for the independent theatre and performance initiatives in Norway. Equally Trondheim and Tromsø subsequently nurtured interesting initiatives during the 80s and early 90s. Cirka Theatre was established in Trondheim in1984 by Anne Marit Sæther and Gilles Berger. The company has a particular focus on physical and visual theatre where the interplay between scenography and performers is essential.

Totalteatret (Total Theatre) established in 1983, is based in Tromsø in a multicultural area, with Sami, Finnish and Norwegian residents. Several of the theatre's members have a Sami background, which has given the group a particular cultural approach and has proven an integral part in many of its productions. The company focuses on challenging theatrical conventions, and on experimenting with various forms of performance styles. Samovar Theatre, based in Kirkenes, is another significant company in the northern region working mainly with new writing. Samovar acknowledges their responsibility to maintain a connection to their northern Norwegian identity when choosing material for work and performers.

Economically it has not been easy to survive as an independent group since most national funding for theatre is allocated to the consolidated permanent theatre institutions which draw heavily on the budget. In recent decades this has proven something of a problem for the independent sector and since the 1970s many independent theatre groups have come and gone. State subsidies for independent groups have stabilised at 27 million Norwegian kroner yearly, while the permanent theatres cost the state approximately 800 million (2004).

With a new scheme that came into effect in 1996, all support given to independent theatre and performance groups was reorganised as project support administered by the Arts Council Norway. The funds were to be distributed by a committee, under the leadership of specialist consultant. This funding is allocated twice each year on the basis of applications from the groups.

Certain municipalities also support the work of independent groups by making venues available to them cheaply or by buying in performances for schools, nurseries and other communities. The political initiative made by the Ministry of Culture and Church Affairs in 2001 called the Cultural School Bag (Den kulturelle skolesekken) stipulates that all school children in primary school should be given the opportunity to see one or two professional performances every year. This will give the independent companies a golden opportunity to present their work for children and young people.

See literature section for information on dramatic writers.