The story of forbidden love in 1960s America became a global phenomenon through Ang Lee's multiple Oscar-winning film from 2005. This fall, it will be staged at Intiman in Stockholm with "Young Royals" stars Malte Gårdinger and Samuel Astor in the lead roles.
For Samuel Astor, who plays the role of Jack Twist, it is inexplicable that it has taken so long.
"I think there is still a fear in the Swedish theatre and film world about telling these stories. People often think about money and who the story is for, if it is "only" for an LGBTQ audience," he says.
Longing
Astor emphasizes that the play, which takes place between 1963 and 1983, is fundamentally about humanity – and about the courage to truly be yourself.
It touches everyone, it's incredibly universal. It's about longing, and wanting to come home.
He sees clear signs in the present that “Brokeback Mountain” still needs to be told, 20 years after the film's premiere.
We have to fight to maintain the LGBTQI rights that have actually been created since then. You see it in the US with Trump, but it's not even obvious here in Sweden anymore. It still takes courage for people to dare to live out their love, he says.
Telling the story on a stage has its challenges – but also its advantages, according to Samuel Astor:
It becomes even more vulnerable and intimate. We sit in a room and breathe together. You can't distance yourself in the same way as when you watch a movie. It becomes a here and a now that I hope will take hold, he says.
Challenge
Malte Gårdinger plays the role of the taciturn Ennis del Mar. Portraying a man who carries so much inside him is not easy:
There is so much in the looks, and in what is never said. Ennis is torn between respect for the life he was born into and his inner will and love. It is an incredibly sad story about what happens when you are not allowed to be with each other, he says.
What do you hope the audience will feel when they leave the theater?
-"Damn how unnecessary that they couldn't just be with each other. That it should go this far because... what? A feeling that it shouldn't be like this," says Malte Gårdinger.
Facts: "Brokeback Mountain"
What: Based on a short story by Annie Proulx, which was later made into a film directed by Ang Lee and starring Jake Gyllenhaal and Heath Ledger.
Premiere: At Intiman in Stockholm on November 19.
Directed by: Sara Giese.
Starring: Malte Gårdinger, Samuel Astor, Simon Norrthon, Julia Sporre and others.
Music: Jill Johnson with band.
