Le Silence

Two sisters, Anna and Ester, return to Sweden with Johan, Anna’s young son. When Ester falls ill, they stop in Timoka, a strange place with a language that is unknown to them, which seems to be on the verge of a military uprising. In the context of this war-time climate, another conflict rages between the sisters, who are unable to communicate. Filmed by Ingmar Bergman in 1963, this story is a reflection on the boundaries between two souls, languages and nations, sickness and health and life and death. Dead Centre adapts the initial script, filtering the events entirely from the point of view of Johan, which are relayed live by videos superimposed onto the on-stage action. This way, the Dublin-based company multiplies the different layers that can be interpreted, while questioning the way in which we create our own reality. A fascinating show focused on perspective!

Gothenburg 400 Years

According to the calendar, Gothenburg was supposed to celebrate the city’s 400th anniversary in 2021, but it was canceled for the same reason  as the 300th anniversary, due to a pandemic. And in the same way as  then, the event is now celebrated two years later in 2023.  Gothenburg was designed by Dutch urban architects, the same people  who designed the city centers of Amsterdam and Jakarta in Indonesia.  The city’s administration – the magistrate – church and school were built by Germans and the British boosted trade. Sweden’s gateway to the west is still today the largest port in the Nordic region and the strategic location between Oslo and Copenhagen means that the exchange with the world is great. So also at Göteborgs Stadsteater, Stora Teatern and Backa Teater. Our three theatres are deeply involved in European collaborations. Partly through the networks Prospero and ETC, but not least through Gothenburg Dance and Theatre Festival, which works with theatre from all over the world. To celebrate Gothenburg’s 400 years, we will tour in Europe, to underline our international contacts. Backa Teater performs Lyckliga i alla våra dagar (Happy ever after) during the spring at the theatre festival ”Stückemarkt” in Heidelberg, Germany and Vi som fick leva om våra liv (We who lived our lives over again) at the The Venice Biennale in June. The performance is a co-production with the Royal Dramatic Theatre in Stockholm. Göteborgs Stadsteater’s performance within the collaboration Prospero is called The Silence and will be played in Liège and Madrid during April. The Silence is based on Ingmar Bergman’s film with the same name, and has been dramatized by the Irish-British theatre company Dead Centre. As a conclusion to the anniversary celebration in Gothenburg, we  will play Orlando in September, a co-production with the German  Schaubühne/Berlin based on a story by Virginia Woolf and which has  been dramatized and directed by the British director Katie Mitchell. The  performance will be presented within the framework of the Gothenburg  Dance and Theatre Festival.