The opera singer Elisbeth Meyer plays the musical farm wife Solveig, who dies in a bicycle accident on her way to a rehearsal with the church choir in Sunne.
This is the second time Linus Tunström is making a play out of his father, Göran Tunström's, most beloved novel, which, among other things, deals with the relationship between father and son.
Then I was 26 years old, now I'm more than twice as old and a father myself. This time we're going further in, says Linus Tunström, who is also making his directorial debut at Dramaten.
Signpost
The story moves through different parts of the world and registers, from the concrete to the fantastical and magical. The latter includes Selma Lagerlöf (Ceasar Sarachu) who appears as a life-changing signpost. At the center is Solveig's and Aron's son Sidner (Erik Ehn), who, like his father Aron, lives in the aftermath of Solveig's death.
Sidner's son Victor becomes the narrator who embraces the entire story in this production.
For his part, Linus Tunström read the novel for the first time as a 15-year-old and remembers how moved he was by the language. On the theater stage, he is looking for "physical poetry".
When you work with material, regardless of whether it's Shakespeare or your father, it's about: how do you make it come alive? But it's clear that there's a dimension of somehow connecting with dad again on an emotional level.
Taking Bach Apart
Part of bringing it to life on stage is done by the German theater composer Bert Wrede, who is currently writing new performance music based on Bach.
We've talked about how Glenn Gould plays Bach – with enormous sensitivity, Bert is now taking Bach apart to capture the vibrating sensitivity that exists in the music, says Linus Tunström, who doesn't want to say too much about a production he hasn't started directing yet.
Anything can happen along the way.
Erika Josefsson/TT
Facts: War and Crime at Dramaten this Spring
TT
"Shame" by Ingmar Bergman, about a young musician couple who move to a summer cottage but still can't escape the war that suddenly appears at the door. Mattias Andersson directs. Premiere on February 1.
"The Pelican" by August Strindberg, where Lena Endre plays the matriarch. Emil Graffman directs. Premiere on February 6.
"Jefferson" by Almap Prize winner Jean-Claude Mourlevat, directed by Olle Törnqvist. Premiere at Unga Dramaten on February 15.
"Gertrude Stein, Gertrude Stein, Gertrude Stein" by Marty Martin. Johan Rabaeus plays the lead role, Ernst Billgren does the set design, and Tomas Alfredson directs. Premiere on February 16.
"Hinkemann" by Ernst Toller, directed by Anja Susa. A German drama about a soldier who returns from war.
"The Christmas Oratorio" by Göran Tunström, directed by Linus Tunström, premiere on March 22.
"The Fathers" by Alexandra Pascalidou, adapted and directed by Alexander Salzberger, premiere on April 17.
(Blank) by "Succession" screenwriter Alice Birch, directed by Maria Åberg. An acclaimed British drama from 2019 about women who have committed crimes. Premiere on May 8.
