Magnus Tonning Riise

On Monday I landed at Oslo Airport and I am now in Norway for the Easter holidays. I finished my second term at Mountview last Friday, and it sure has been a tiring one. With jazz, ballet, tap, group singing and ensemble project assessments there hasn't been much time to sit down and relax. Shin splints, feeling exhausted, mentally drained and emotional highs and lows have all been a big part of this term, but it does not overshadow the fact that I do love being at Mountview with every bone in my body.

This terms project has been the "Ensemble project". With focus on working as a group and building an ensemble. My group worked on 'The Caucasian Chalk Circle' by Bertolt Brecht. The big challenge for me with this project was that I had so many different parts. In a 90 minute production, I had 10 different speaking parts (in addition to several more silent ones). Trying to build believable characters, not just charicatures, and to be able to switch between them so fast was incredibly hard. But I took on the challenge and I feel I have learned a lot from the process.

Dancewise this has been a very hard term, with the extra pressure of dance assessments pushing us harder in every single class (and outside of class). I've had amazing teachers to work with (as usual at Mountview) in dance this term. In jazz David Lee and Matthew Malthouse (currently in Matilda), in tap Anna Walker and in ballet David Lee. I had to put in a lot of extra hours to be able to get through the assessments, but in the end I am very happy with my result. In jazz I'm in second top and in ballet I'm in second bottom. In tap I started in bottom set, moved up to second bottom and I am now working towards moving up to second top, hopefully by second year. It's great to see that the hard work is paying off!

Even though I am very much enjoying my time off (a much needed break) I am very much looking forward to next term. With 'Acting through song' added to the timetable and 'Song & Dance' as our project it will be a very fun and hard working term!

Hope you all enjoy your Easter holiday!


My whole year together with our amazing group singing teacher George Ure

I am now not only half way through my second term at Mountview, I am half way through my first year. I can not believe how incredibly fast time has flown by!

The work load is a lot more crazy this term. In project my group is working on 'The Caucasian Chalk Circle' by Bertolt Brecht. This is our 'ensemble project' so there will be loads of silent parts creating different environments in the scenes. In addition to that I have over ten different speaking characters throughout the play. This is a massive challenge as I need to develop them all differently so the audience can easily seperate one from each other. But what would training be without challenges?

Last week I had an assessment in voice and this week I had a written one in speech. At the end of term, we all have dance assessments in all our dance classes and group singing assessments. If you think that sounds like a lot I haven't even started on the 'regular' homework. There is definitely loads to think about and to go over in the coming weeks.

This week my year have been watching the postgrads and the 2nd years do their plays. They have been absolutely amazing! Such an inspiration being at Mountview with such incredible talents all around! I also saw the 3rd year Actors production of the musical 'Our House' at Bernie Grant Arts Centre on Friday. Book your tickets now, it is truly amazing!

Last, but not least, I had a photoshoot with the amazing photographer Geir Marius Kjønnøy yesterday. Check out these photos and click here to go to his blog to check out some more.

January: 2011 started off very well with a letter arriving in the mailbox on the 6th of January. It was a letter from Mountview Academy of Theatre Arts saying that I had been accepted to their BA (Hons) in Performance (Musical Theatre). Finally I had the answer I had been waiting for since early December, I knew I would pursue my dream and already in September move to London.

On the 12th of February I was awarded the "Coop kulturkasse" scholarship of 10 000 NOK (approx £1100) and I now had a good start for paying my school fees for London. Even though I had been accepted at Mountview, I still had my auditions at Guildford School of Acting and Arts Ed. Two days after receiving the scholarship I travelled to London for both auditions. I did not get through at my Arts Ed audition, but I was sent through all the three rounds at my Guildford audition. The same day as I was leaving London to go back to Norway, I got an e-mail from Guildford confirming that I had received a place on their BA (Hons) in Performance (Musical Theatre). Now I stood before the most difficult choice of my whole life. What school was I supposed to choose?


After weeks and weeks of thinking, in late March I finally managed to make a choice. As you might have picked up, I chose Mountview Academy of Theatre Arts. Both schools are amazing, but I can say today that I could not be more happy with my choice! Later that month, on the last day actually, I had my opening night as Rooster in Annie in Oslo, which would lead into one of the busiest months of my life.

April was a month filled with performing. I had three major productions in three different cities. Annie in Oslo, Hair in Hamar and There's No Business Like Show Business in Elverum. In the last production I was also on the production team and had responsabilities with manuscript, program, direction, choreography in addition to all the administration around it. I had to travel between rehearsals and performances in the three different cities, but I managed to do everything and it turned out amazing! The month did however have a dramatic ending. On the last day in April Hair had two shows. In between the shows I lay down to get some sleep because I was sick and woke up from the fire alarm. There were flames up the walls and to the ceiling in one of the dressing rooms, but the fire was put out by the theater personel and the fire department later brought massive tubes into the theater to blow out the toxic gases. 10 minutes before the next show, we were finally given permission to perform.


In Norway, May is a month filled with partying for the graduating year, the "russ". This is very hard to explain, but basically means that we all (mostly) have red trousers, grouped up in different vans or buses, have cards that we hand out to children with our picture and a funny quote, party a lot and do a lot of funny and stupid things (if you are more interested, read more here). It all ends on the 17th of May which is our National Day. Even though this was going on I had several exams, I did perform a lot around the area, even in front of the Minister of Culture in Norway, Anniken Huitfeldt (on their encouragement I did perform in my "russe"trousers). Towards the end of the month I established my own freelancing company by the name, Sincerely Riise.

In June I graduated from "Stange videregående skole" and I knew the next time I went into a class in school it would be in London and at Mountview Academy of Theatre Arts. I could not be more excited for the next step in my life! But first I needed to celebrate graduating and completing 13 years of school and travelled on vacation to Bulgaria with some friends.

In July I started working at the Hedmark Museum as a singing guide. Teaching about the history of the medieval Hamar and demonstrating the amazing acoustics in the Cathedral Ruins with Gregorian singing. My year so far had been on a never ending rise, but on the 22nd of July it would all change. On this day Norway saw it's darkest day in the nations history since the war. A bomb went off in the centre of Oslo and young people are shot at a political youth camp on an island outside Oslo. Several hundred people are injured and 77 people brutally murdered. One of them Isma Brown who was in Hair with me not very long ago. I could not believe it! No one could. The whole country stood still. Never did anyone think something like that could happen in Norway. I made this video to honour Isma and all the other lost ones and send my thoughts out to the friends and families:

In August I worked most days to save up for Mountview, but I also travelled down to London to Mountviews Accomodation Day to find myself a place to live. It was nice to have something else to think about, but with the riots in London at the time (which were right where I was) I couldn't help thinking about the tragedy few weeks ago. I could not understand how people after hearing about what happened in Norway, could run around and spread so much meaningless hate. I thought that now was at least a time for being united. I just couldn't understand it and don't think I ever will. The good part is that eventually I did end up finding a house very close to Mountview.

September: The big month! So much happened this month. I finished work, then started preparing for my last concert before moving "London Neste" (London Next). It was sort of like a goodbye (or more like a see-you-later) before moving to London. Then on the 9th of September I got on the plane to London with my five suitcases. The day before school started, "Freshers Week" kicked off with a "meet and greet" and would continue with parties every day for the next 7 days. I was even awarded Freshers King by the end of it. On the 19th of September I had my very first day at Mountview Academy of Theatre Arts. I had started a new, very important chapter of my life.


October went really fast! It started with watching an amazing 25th anniversary of "Phantom og the Opera" at the Royal Albert Hall. Just few weeks later I had finished my first half term at Mountview and it barely felt like a week. It was great though to have some days off after a 5 weeks of very hard work.

November was filled with hard work, great 3rd year Musical Theatre productions and my years "Realism Project" performance. My class had duologues from Simon Stevens plays and I played the character of Billy Lee Russel in a duologue from "Herons".

In December my first term at Mountview came to an end. It ended really well with two amazing Christmas Concerts at St Michael's Church in Highgate and Christmas caroling outside Hornsey Town Hall (the future home of Mountview) in Crouch End. I then travelled to Norway to celebrate Christmas with my family where I also made a new YouTube video singing "I'll Be Home For Christmas".

2012 has been a great year in so many ways! At the same time Norway saw the worst day in the nations history since the war. My thoughts go out to all the friends and families celebrating their first Christmas and New Year after losing someone very close! Lets hope 2012 becomes a great year! With that I want to wish you all a Happy New Year!

Merry Christmas everybody! I have heard it said that it takes three times for something to become a tradition. So with this new YouTube video, it has now become a tradition for me to upload a Christmas video sometime during December. It all started with All I Want For Christmas is You in 2009, When Christmas Comes to Town in 2010 and I'll Be Home For Christmas this year.

After moving to London in September it was great to come home for Christmas. I do love living in London, but Christmas is a time to share with family, I am so glad I got to come home to see them again. I'll Be Home For Christmas was therefore a natural choice for my next video. But mostly, this video goes out to all of you who are unable to share Christmas with your families this year. I hope you find a way of enjoying and celebrating this magical time without them. My thoughts go out to you all!

Again, Merry Christmas to you all! Hope you all enjoy your Christmas!

Yesterday I left London and now I am in Norway for Christmas. On Tuesday, the 13th of December, it was exactly one year since my Mountview audition and I actually flew back from London on the same date. Last year hoping to get in, this year after proudly finishing my first term. It really reminded me that I am truly living the dream.


The Christmas Concerts in St Michael's Church last week were amazing and the audience loved them! The Mayor of Haringey, Gina Adamou, even came to the second concert. Then on Friday we sang Cristmas carols outside Hornsey Town Hall (Mountview's new home from 2014) to the people of Crouch End. I really enjoyed both these events and they really put me in a Christmas mood. They also really made me feel like a Mountview student, because it was the first time I was "presented" to the public as a part of Mountview. That was an amazing feeling.

On Sunday I went to the Garrick Theatre in the West End to watch "The Songs of My Life: An Evening With Peter Polycarpou". Several of my friends were in the chorus and my very good friend and housemate, Samuel Nunn, had a solo in it. The concert was amazing and I must say that Sam absolutely killed his solo! His rendition of Bring Him Home from Les Misérables was amazing and he really proved what an amazing talent he is. I am very proud of being his housemate and friend!

I will be returning to London on the 6th of January, staying in Norway until then. Now I am working on a new Christmas YouTube video, so check back soon. 

Today we rehearsed for the Christmas Concert in the church and I can truly say that it will be absolutely amazing! The 2nd years, 3rd years, Postgrads, the Actors Choir and my own year all have amazing song numbers that will put you in the best Christmas mood! This is what happens when you combine a beautiful church with beautiful songs and readings, a magical time and 150 incredible singers. All put together by the very best teachers. The concerts are at 6pm and 8pm tomorrow at St Michael's Church and I can't wait, it will be truly magical!