Janken Varden: key obituary facts
Is Janken Varden dead? Yes. Janken Varden died on February 10, 2026, at age 87.
Cause of death: Janken Varden's cause of death has not been publicly confirmed.
What was Janken Varden known for?
Janken Varden was a Norwegian theatre director (Oslo Nye Teater).
Janken Varden, the Norwegian theatre director associated with Oslo Nye Teater, died on February 10, 2026.
Born in Oslo on 6 April 1938, he was a graduate of the University of Oslo Law School. He worked as a stage director at Riksteatret, Nationaltheatret and Fjernsynsteatret, among others.
In 1966, he married poet Kate Næss, who died in 1987; from 1989, he lived with Danish actress Birgitte Halling-Koch. Varden died in Copenhagen at the age of 87.
Jan Fredrik “Janken” Varden (6 April 1938 – 3 February 2026) was a Norwegian theatre director and educator.