Rising star Synnøve Karlsen is set to make her theater debut in Headlong’s buzzy new production “The House Party,” while juggling high-profile TV roles in BBC and Masterpiece’s “Miss Austen” and Apple TV+’s “Foundation.”
The actor will take on the lead role of Julie in Laura Lomas’ contemporary reimagining of August Strindberg‘s “Miss Julie,” directed by Headlong artistic director Holly Race Roughan. The production, which first bowed at Chichester Festival Theatre in May 2024, will embark on a U.K. tour starting in February.
The play, a co-production with Chichester Festival Theatre and produced in association with Frantic Assembly, follows an 18-year-old’s birthday party that spirals into a potent mix of privilege, desire and destruction. The tour will hit major venues including Leeds Playhouse, Rose Theatre Kingston, Home Manchester, Bristol Old Vic and Belgrade Theatre Coventry.
“I could not be more excited to be playing Julie in ‘The House Party,’” Karlsen tells Variety. “Laura Lomas has written such a dynamic and relevant retelling of Strindberg’s ‘Miss Julie’ and one that I know will speak to today’s audience. I’ve waited eight years to be on stage and when this opportunity arose I knew I had to grab onto it — she’s just such a dangerous and exciting part.”
Meanwhile, Karlsen is keeping busy on screen. Speaking about her role in Apple TV+’s “Foundation,” she says: “‘Foundation’ has been such a labor of love over these past two years. We got shut down during the strikes which led to a huge re-shuffle. I’m really excited for fans to finally get to see it when it comes out, I think it’s going to be pretty epic.”
As revealed by Variety, the actor will also appear as Cassandra Austen in BBC’s upcoming four-part series “Miss Austen.” “It’s a beautiful story about the love between two sisters,” Karlsen says. “It was an absolute joy to be a part of that story, sometimes a project just clicks together in an intangible way. I really hope people enjoy it.”
Karlsen’s previous credits include Edgar Wright’s “Last Night in Soho,” Netflix’s “Bodies” alongside Stephen Graham and Shira Haas, BBC’s “Clique” and the historical drama “Medici.” She is represented by Independent Talent Group, Anonymous Content and Personal PR.
