Bollhuset, also called (The Big Ball House), (Ball House Theater), and Gamla Bollhuset (Old Ball House) at various times, was the name of the first theater in

Stockholm Stockholm () is the capital and largest city of Sweden as well as the largest urban area in Scandinavia. Approximately 980,000 people live in the municipality, with 1.6 million in the urban area, and 2.4 million in the metropo ...

, Sweden; it was the first Swedish theater and the first real theater building in the whole of

Scandinavia Scandinavia; Sámi languages: /. ( ) is a subregion in Northern Europe, with strong historical, cultural, and linguistic ties between its constituent peoples. In English usage, ''Scandinavia'' most commonly refers to Denmark, Norway, and S ...

. It was built in 1627 for ball sports and used in this way for forty years. The name Lejonkulan, however, was, in fact, the name of a different building, which was also used by the same theater in the 17th century. Bollhuset was the scene of a long series of most important events in the history of the theater in the city and in the history of Swedish theater. Between 1667 and 1792 it was used as a theater until it was demolished in 1793; between 1737 and 1754, the first national theater was located here; in 1773–1782 the

Royal Swedish Opera Royal Swedish Opera ( sv, Kungliga Operan) is an opera and ballet company based in Stockholm, Sweden. Location and environment The building is located in the center of Sweden's capital Stockholm in the borough of Norrmalm, on the eastern sid ...

(and thereby also the Royal Swedish Ballet) was located here; in 1783–1792 the French theater of Stockholm was housed here; in 1787 the second national theater was re-founded in the building; and from 1788 to 1792 it was the home of the Royal Dramatic Theatre.

History

The building was located on Slottsbacken near the Royal palace Tre Kronor. It was described as a large, but simple rectangular building of white bricks with a

hip roof A hip roof, hip-roof or hipped roof, is a type of roof where all sides slope downwards to the walls, usually with a fairly gentle slope (although a tented roof by definition is a hipped roof with steeply pitched slopes rising to a peak). Thus ...

. Bollhuset was built by the crown for the royal court in 1627 as a house for ball sports, especially ''jeu de paume'' (

Real tennis Real tennis – one of several games sometimes called "the sport of kings" – is the original racquet sport from which the modern game of tennis (also called "lawn tennis") is derived. It is also known as court tennis in the United Sta ...

), which was at that time a very fashionable sport among the European aristocracy, and it was mainly used by the members of the royal court. From 1648, when an additional Ball House was built, Bollhuset was referred to as Stora Bollhuset (Big Ball House) or Gamla Bollhuset (Old Ball House), while the new ball house was called Lilla Bollhuset (Small Ball House) or Nya Bollhuset (New Ball House). In 1663–1679, it was owned by Charles Boit (father of

Charles Boit Charles Boit (10 August 1662, in Stockholm – 6 February 1727, in Paris) was a Swedish painter in vitreous enamels who mostly worked in England, Austria and France. Biography Boit was born in a Huguenot family in Stockholm, the son of a mercha ...

the painter) and thereafter by his widow until it was taken over by the crown again in 1699, when it was given to the French court theater.

17th-century Theater

From an unknown date during the 17th-century, Bollhuset was occasionally used by the foreign travelling theater companies, which performed in Sweden, were there was yet not native professional theater. Because a ball house was usually designed with as spectator gallery around an arena, they were often used by travelling theater companies in 17th-century Europe. Because both ball houses, Stora Bollhuset and Lilla Bollhuset in Stockholm were used by theater companies during the same period, it is difficult to establish which particular building was used by which company at which occasion, and there is some confusion about the theatrical activity during this first period. It is further confusing because a third building, Lejonkulan, was also used by the travelling theater companies during the same period. What is known is that Lilla Bollhuset is confirmed to have been used as a theater between 1662 and 1686, and Lejonkulan between 1667 and 1689, while the first confirmed public theater performance took place in Stora Bollhuset 29 October 1684. During the 17th century, foreign travelling theater companies often visited Stockholm, especially from Germany and the Netherlands. An English troupe, the troupe of Joris Jollifoot, played in the city in 1648-1649. The German theater troop of Christian Theun l. Thum (or Thaumb) performed in the city from 1628 to 1655, but it is not known if they ever performed in . The foreign actors at Bollhuset did play for the public, but as most people could not understand foreign languages, it remained mostly a theater for the royal court and elite. An illustrating example of this is that the foreign troupe that seems to have been most popular among the public, the German troupe of the 1730s, was a troupe with displayed

acrobatics Acrobatics () is the performance of human feats of balance, agility, and motor coordination. Acrobatic skills are used in performing arts, sporting events, and martial arts. Extensive use of acrobatic skills are most often performed in acr ...

firework Fireworks are a class of low explosive pyrotechnic devices used for aesthetic and entertainment purposes. They are most commonly used in fireworks displays (also called a fireworks show or pyrotechnics), combining a large number of devices in ...

s, tightrope-walking and

pantomime Pantomime (; informally panto) is a type of musical comedy stage production designed for family entertainment. It was developed in England and is performed throughout the United Kingdom, Ireland and (to a lesser extent) in other English-speakin ...

and thus, with their more visual way of acting, was easier to understand for those who could not understand the language spoken. In 1686, the first Swedish language theater, the non professional student theater '' Dän Swänska Theatren'', was inaugurated in Lejonkulan, and when Lejonkulan was demolished in 1689, it was moved to Bollhuset, where it performed until it was dissolved in 1691. Thereafter, Bollhuset was again used by foreign theater companies in parallel to the Lilla Bollhuset. In 1699, Bollhuset was again taken over by the crown and permanently redecorated to a theater for the use of the French court theater. The French theater used it until 1706, when the theater was closed due to the

Great Northern War The Great Northern War (1700–1721) was a conflict in which a coalition led by the Tsardom of Russia successfully contested the supremacy of the Swedish Empire in Northern, Central and Eastern Europe. The initial leaders of the anti-Swe ...

. After the peace of 1721, it was again used by foreign theater companies.

The first national theater; Kungliga svenska skådeplatsen

During the

Age of Liberty In Swedish and Finnish history, the Age of Liberty ( sv, frihetstiden; fi, vapauden aika) was a period that saw parliamentary governance, increasing civil rights and the decline of the Swedish Empire that began with Charles XII's death in ...

, the first national theater was to be founded at Bollhuset, then officially called '' Kungliga Svenska Skådeplatsen'' (Royal Swedish Stage). In the 1720s and 1730s, the interest for amateur theater was great in Stockholm and a lot of temporary amateur troupes performed among the aristocracy, the most known one ''" Count De la Gardies comedients''", made by noble youths. After the amateur-performance ''Tobias'' by a couple of idealistic students at the birthday of king

Frederick I of Sweden Frederick I ( sv, Fredrik I; 28 April 1676 – 5 April 1751) was prince consort of Sweden from 1718 to 1720, and List of Swedish monarchs, King of Sweden from 1720 until his death and (as ''Frederick I'') also Landgrave of Landgraviate of Hesse-K ...

in 1737, during a period when the building was empty after the last foreign troupe had left, the opinion wanted a theater in their own language. This was granted by the

Riksdag The Riksdag (, ; also sv, riksdagen or ''Sveriges riksdag'' ) is the legislature and the supreme decision-making body of Sweden. Since 1971, the Riksdag has been a unicameral legislature with 349 members (), elected proportionally and se ...

, who encouraged the establishment of the first native troupe of actors. One of the arguments taken up in the parliament was the large costs of the expensive foreign troupes. The first Swedish comedy performed on a public stage, ', was performed in October 1737 with Johan Palmberg and Beata Sabina Straas in the leading parts, and during the 1740s, the plays in was performed by native actors, in the native language, which made it accessible for the public for the first time. At this point, the theater had eight hundred seats. Sweden now saw

theater Theatre or theater is a collaborative form of performing art that uses live performers, usually actors or actresses, to present the experience of a real or imagined event before a live audience in a specific place, often a stage. The perfor ...

opera Opera is a form of theatre in which music is a fundamental component and dramatic roles are taken by singers. Such a "work" (the literal translation of the Italian word "opera") is typically a collaboration between a composer and a libr ...

and

ballet Ballet () is a type of performance dance that originated during the Italian Renaissance in the fifteenth century and later developed into a concert dance form in France and Russia. It has since become a widespread and highly technical form ...

performed in the native language by native artists for the first time. It was temporarily closed by regent queen

Ulrika Eleonora of Sweden Ulrika Eleonora or Ulrica Eleanor (23 January 1688 – 24 November 1741), known as Ulrika Eleonora the Younger, was Queen of Sweden, reigning in her own right from 5 December 1718 until her abdication on 29 February 1720 in favour of her husband ...

in 1738 because of the clerical opposition, but soon reopened. The theater was first under the rule of the state; its first play was a political one. This did not last long and from 1740 it was ruled by the theater troupe themselves and entirely depended on the audience after the loss of government support. This first attempt to start a native Swedish theater was interrupted. Though the Swedish theatre was popular among the public, the aristocracy, who were French-influenced, was less enthusiastic. After the 1753-54 season, the Swedish theatre was expelled from their localities in Bollhuset by queen

Louisa Ulrika of Prussia Louisa Ulrika of Prussia ( sv, Lovisa Ulrika; german: Luise Ulrike) (24 July 1720 – 16 July 1782) was Queen of Sweden from 1751 to 1771 as the wife of King Adolf Frederick. She was queen mother during the reign of King Gustav III. Backg ...

, who hired a French theater company instead. The Swedish troop split in two; one, the Stenborg Troupe under Petter Stenborg, performed in smaller houses, "touring" around the city of Stockholm and in Finland, and the other toured in the countryside under Johan Bergholtz and Peter Lindahl. During the period of 1754–71, Swedish plays were only performed in the city stage of Bollhuset two times; ''Syrinx'' (1761) and ''Herkules på skiljovägen'' (1762), by the Stenborg Troupe, to the benefit of musician Petter Lillström, spouse of the Swedish actress

Elisabeth Lillström Elisabeth Lillström née ''Söderman'' (1717 – 4 April 1791) was a Swedish stage actress and opera singer. She was one of the first professional actresses in Sweden and a member of the pioneer generation of '' Kungliga svenska skåde ...

. The French

Du Londel Troupe The Du Londel Troupe was a French 18th-century theatre troupe. From 1753 to 1771, it was active as the French Theatre of Sweden, where it played a great part in that country's theatre history. The French troupe performed in Copenhagen in Denmark ...

followed the court and they stayed in only in winter. The French troupe held a high class and performed the latest plays from Paris, but as the public in general did not speak French, it was foremost a pleasure for the upper-classes, though the public seems to have enjoyed the visual effects. The building was also used for public

masquerade ball A masquerade ball (or ''bal masqué'') is an event in which many participants attend in costume wearing a mask. (Compare the word " masque"—a formal written and sung court pageant.) Less formal " costume parties" may be a descendant of this t ...

s; the first was organized already in 1701 by the French troupe of Rosidor, and the 1763 year carnival on Bollhuset attracted 600 guests and gave profit of §6000.

The second national theater and Opera

In 1771, king

Gustav III of Sweden Gustav III (29 March 1792), also called ''Gustavus III'', was King of Sweden from 1771 until his assassination in 1792. He was the eldest son of Adolf Frederick of Sweden and Queen Louisa Ulrika of Prussia. Gustav was a vocal opponent of what ...

fired the French theater company, and the Swedish actors, led by Petter Stenborg, then saw their chance and asked to perform a play at the opening of the parliament of 1772. At the opening of parliament in 1772, the troupe of Petter Stenborg appeared before King

Gustav III Gustav III (29 March 1792), also called ''Gustavus III'', was King of Sweden from 1771 until his assassination in 1792. He was the eldest son of Adolf Frederick of Sweden and Queen Louisa Ulrika of Prussia. Gustav was a vocal opponent of what ...

and all the public in Bollhuset after the French troupe had left it, and after this, the monarch decided to found a native speaking opera and theatre. The 18 January 1773, the opera ''Thetis and Phelée'', performed by Carl Stenborg and the concert-singer

Elisabeth Olin Elisabeth Olin née ''Lillström'' (December 1740 – 26 March 1828) was a Swedish opera singer and a music composer. She performed the leading female role in the inauguration performance of the Royal Swedish Opera in 1773, and is referred to ...

in the leading roles, inaugurated the

, which was a great success. This was an opera, not a theater, and the attempts to perform speaking drama was not very successful. At the inauguration, the building had been redecorated; the walls were painted in greyish-yellow, the boxes in red, except for the Royal box, which was painted in blue and gold and the sealing a sky in white and gold. In 1781 the king, in his effort to establish a Swedish theater, hired a group of French actors, led by Jacques Marie Boutet de Monvel, to educate and perform with the first generation of new Swedish-speaking actors at Bollhuset. The opera was the year after, in 1782, moved to the new building of the Swedish Royal Opera and separated from the talking-part actors, and this is considered the beginning of the Swedish theater. The French troupe first performed at court, but begun to perform for the public in Bollhuset in 1783; in the absence of an organised theatre School, the future Swedish actors became students of the French troupe, which educated several of the later famous Swedish actors of the Royal Dramatic Theatre, such as Lars Hjortsberg, Maria Franck and Inga Åberg, and in 1787, an independent Swedish theatre troupe was founded under the leadership of Fredrik Ristell. The two troupes, the French and the Swedish, shared the same building but performed separately, was ruled independently and was considered two separate "Theatres", the French Theatre and the Swedish Theatre. In 1788, Fredrik Ristell fled the country to escape his creditors, and the actors formed a company and asked for the king's protection; he became the formal director, placed the theater under Royal protection, thus creating the Royal Dramatic Theatre. The Swedish theatre was to be ruled by the actors themselves by votes every fourteenth day under the supervision of the

Royal Swedish Academy of Arts The Royal Swedish Academy of Fine Arts ( sv, Kungliga Akademien för de fria konsterna), commonly called the Royal Academy, is located in Stockholm, Sweden. An independent organization that promotes the development of painting, sculpture, archite ...

; according to the reports made by the academy, this rule was quite chaotic, and the voting is described as capricious and temperamental; " ''The male actors arguing with each other, one of the ladies voting yes because another lady voted no, other of them counting their buttons and letting fate decide''", and in 1803, the actors themselves asked the system to be replaced by a director. In 1792, was deemed to be too old and decayed, and it was torn down 1793; in the actors moved to the palace

Makalös Makalös (unequalled) was the colloquial name for the grand mansion, or palace, of the Swedish noble family De la Gardie. Situated at Norrström, south of Kungsträdgården in Stockholm and vis-à-vis the Royal Palace, the building was complet ...

, (also called The Arsenal), where the Royal Dramatic Theater was to reside until 1825, after which it again was reunited with the Opera. In 1798–1842, the theaters and operas of Stockholm were united by a royal monopoly.

Actors and companies in the Theater of Bollhuset

Until 1689, the theater shared localities with the stage of '' Lejonkulan''.

The Dutch troupe 1667–1674

''This troupe opened the Theater at the stage of Lejonkulan with the play ''Orontes en Satira'' by Magnon in February 1667.'' * Salomon Fino * Jan Baptista van Fornenberg (1624–1697) director of the troupe. * Helena Heusen (1622–1680) * Daniel Loodewicx * Anna Parkar-Boonefaes * Geertruyt Rijndorp-Boonefaes *

Dorotea van Fornenbergh Dorotea van Fornenbergh (born between 1647 and 1654 – died after 1697), was a Dutch stage actor. Life Born to theatre director Jan Baptist van Fornenbergh (1624–1697) and actor Helena Heusen (ca. 1622–1680), married in 1696 to Johan ...

The Dutch troupe 1680–1684

''This troupe performed the play ''Disa'' for the public in 1684, and thus, the theater is known to be more than a court theater from this point forward.'' * Gillis Nozeman, husband of

Ariana Nozeman Ariana Nozeman (alt: A(d)riana Noseman/Nooseman): born Ariana van den Bergh (1626/1628 in Middelburg – December 7, 1661 in Amsterdam), was the first woman to play a leading role in a public play in The Netherlands. She made her debut on stag ...

* Trial Parkar * Jacob Sammers (1632–1689)

The Swedish student troupe from Uppsala 1686–1691

''This troupe was made up of idealistic students, all male. It had played in Uppsala in 1682–86. The theater was permanently moved to Bollhuset in 1689.'' *

Olaus Rudbeck Olaus Rudbeck (also known as Olof Rudbeck the Elder, to distinguish him from his son, and occasionally with the surname Latinized as ''Olaus Rudbeckius'') (13 September 1630 – 12 December 1702) was a Swedish scientist and writer, professor o ...

Johan Celsius Johan * Johan (given name) * ''Johan'' (film), a 1921 Swedish film directed by Mauritz Stiller * Johan (band), a Dutch pop-group ** ''Johan'' (album), a 1996 album by the group * Johan Peninsula, Ellesmere Island, Nunavut, Canada * Jo-Han, a manu ...

Isaak Börk Isaac was one of the patriarchs of the Abrahamic faiths. Isaac may also refer to: * Isaac (name), including a list of people and fictional characters with the given name or surname of Isaac and its variants Organizations * International Societ ...

, director * Carl Johan Ollieqvisth * Andreas Strömbergh * Georg Törnqvist-Adlercreutz, actor, writer and translator * Johan Widman

The German Theatre 1691–1697

* Elisabet Denner, primadonna * Denner the Elder * Denner the Younger, Harlquin * Dorseus * Big Müller * Little Müller * Ferdinand Egidius Paulusen * Johann Christian Spiegelberg * Johann Velthens, director * Catharina Elisabeth Velten

The French Theatre 1699–1706

* Marie Anne Aubert, singer. * Jean François Bénard, dancer * J. B. de Crous, musician. * Gillette Boutelvier-Duchemin * Jean Pierre Duchemin (1674–1754) * Antoine Dupré, musician. * Francoise Fabe-Picard, dancer * Claude Ferdinand Guillemay du Chesnay de Rosidor (fl. 1660–1718), director * Marianne Guillemay du Chesnay Bérge de Rosidor * Robert Lemoine de la France, musician * Henri de la Motte, musician * Louis Picard, dancer * Jacques Rénot, musician * Marie Trouche-du Chesnay-de Rosidor (d. 1705)

The German troupe 1721

* Gabriel Müller

The French Opera Theatre 1723–1727

* Jeanne Perrette le Chevalier (1688–1774) * Charles Langlois (later director of the Bollhus Theater in 1737–39 and 1740–54) * Jean-Baptiste Landé, dancer and director * Madame Landé, opera singer and dancer, wife of Jean-Baptiste * Bourgoin Le Romain

The German Theatre 1731–1737

''This company is described as using a very visual way of acting, with fireworks, acrobatics, pantomime and Harlequin-performances'' * J. C. Kreutzer * Martin Müller

The first Swedish national Opera Theatre 1737–1754

''This was the first Swedish troupe: it performed both opera and drama and ballet'' * Johan Bergholtz (d. 1774) * Christian Berner (1702–1773), dancer * Johanna Embeck * Margareta Maria Fabritz (1716–1800) * Nils Flodell (1714–1759) * Anna Maria Göttling * Anders Hallberg * Kristian Knöppel (1717–1800) *

Peter Lindahl Peter Lindahl (1712 in Karlskrona – 19 December 1792 in Ånstad, Örebro), was a Swedish stage actor and theatre director. He belonged to the most known of the pioneer generation of actors at the first Swedish theatre. He was the director of t ...

(1712–1792) * Johan Ohl (1704–1766), singer and musician * Johan Palmberg (1713–1781) * Brita Christina Schenbom * Petter Stenborg (1719–1781) *

Beata Sabina Straas Beata Sabina Straas or Strass (died 1773) also known as Madame Åberg was a professional stage actress in Sweden. She was a member of the pioneer group of actors in the first Swedish national theatre of Bollhuset. Life Beata's birth year and ...

(d. 1773) *

, singer and actress

The French Theater 1753–1771

* Marie Baptiste, singer * Angélique Madeleine Cénas (born 1757) * Gaspard Cénas, dancer * Thérèse Antoinette Cénas * François Antoine Joseph Rousseau-Châtillon (1729–1802) * Barbe Marguerite Henry-Coudurier, comedienne *

Ninon Dubois le Clerc Ninon Dubois Le Clerc or Ninon Leclaire (1750 in France - 4 May 1779, Stockholm), was a French ballerina and courtesan. She was a member of the Royal Swedish Ballet and regarded as one of the stars of the royal ballet during her career there. As a ...

, dancer * Jeanne Du Londel, director 1753–56 * Monsieur Compani-Despiervière * Madame Desroches, singer * Jeanne Louise Dulondel * Louis Dulondel, director 1756-71, dance instructor of the Crown Prince * Louis Gallodier (1733–1803) balletmaster *

Marguerite Morel Marguerite Du Londel or Dulondel (''Jeanne-Pierre-Marie–Marguerite Morel''; La Rochelle, France, 1737–1804) was a French ballerina, actress and singer (soprano). She was active in the French theater in Sweden and at that time attracted great ...

, dancer * Pierre-Claude Senisseler-Soligny * Elisabeth Le Clerc Soligny, prima ballerina and ballet mistress

The Italian Opera 1754–1757

''This was an opera troupe, meant to complement the French theater troupe. It consisted of members from the company of

Pietro Mingotti Pietro Mingotti (born Venice, c. 1702; died Copenhagen, 28 April 1759) was an Italian impresario active across continental Europe. His brother, Angelo, formed an opera company in Prague around 1732, consisting of three male singers and five females ...

. They also performed in concerts in Riddarhuset.'' * Gaspera Beccaroni, soprano * Giovanni Coci or Croce (1723–1764) tenor * Elena Fabrice, alto * Mariana Galeotti, soprano *

Rosa Scarlatti Rosa Scarlatti (1727– 15 December 1775) was an Italian opera singer. She was the niece of Alessandro Scarlatti, Alessandro or Domenico Scarlatti and the sister of composer Giuseppe Scarlatti (1723-1777). She married composer Francesco Uttini in ...

(1727–1775) * Domenico Scogli, castrato *

Francesco Uttini Francesco Antonio Baldassare Uttini (1723 Bologna – 25 October 1795) was an Italian composer and conductor who was active mostly in Sweden. He is best remembered today as a composer of operas in both the Italian and Swedish languages and f ...

(1723–1795) conductor of the Royal orchestra in 1767–88, composer of the orchestra in Bollhuset from 1772.

The (second) Swedish Opera 1773–1782

''This was an opera troupe, not a theatrical troupe.'' * Nils Magnus Annerstedt *

Lovisa Augusti Lovisa Sofia Augusti (born Ester Salomon; 1751 or 1756 – 25 June 1790) was a Swedish opera singer (soprano). She was regarded as one of the most noted opera singers of the Royal Swedish Opera during the Gustavian era. She was appointed '' Hovs ...

(1756–1790) * Hans Björkman *

Charlotte Eckerman Beata Charlotta "Charlotte" Eckerman (1759 – 16 January 1790 in Stockholm), was a Swedish opera singer and actress. She was also a very well known courtesan during the Gustavian era, and the official royal mistress of Charles XIII of Sweden fr ...

(1759–1790) * Anna Sophia Holmstedt (1759–1807) *

Christoffer Christian Karsten Christoffer Christian (or ''Kristofer Kristian'') Karsten (9 September 1756 – 6 August 1827) was a Swedish opera singer. He was the maternal grandfather of the ballerina Marie Taglioni. Life Born in Ystad, he was discovered by qu ...

(1756–1827) *

Lars Lalin Lars Lalin (1729–1785), was a Swedish musician, playwright and opera singer. He was a ''hovsångare'' and a member of the Royal Swedish Academy of Music The Royal Swedish Academy of Music ( sv, Kungliga Musikaliska Akademien), founded in 177 ...

(1729–1785) * Anders Nordén *

(1740–1828) * Ulrica Rosenlund (1761–1779) *

Charlotte Slottsberg Charlotte (Gustava Charlotta) Slottsberg (29 May 1760 – 29 May 1800) was a Swedish ballerina. She was one of the first native members of the Royal Swedish Ballet. She was also known as a courtesan and as the controversial mistress of the ...

(1760–1800) ballerina *

Franziska Stading Sofia ''Franziska'' Stading (1763 – 8 February 1836) was a Swedish opera singer of German origin. She is referred to as one of the more notable opera singers in Sweden during the Gustavian era. She was a ''Hovsångare'' and member of the ...

(1763–1836) *

Carl Stenborg Carl Stenborg (8 September 1752 – 1 August 1813) was a Swedish opera singer, composer and theatre director. He belonged to the pioneer generation of the Royal Swedish Opera and was regarded as one of the leading opera singers of the Gustavian ...

(1752–1813) * Diedrich Tellerstedt *

Hedvig Wigert Hedvig Christina Wigert née ''Falk'' (February 1748 – 4 January 1780) was a Swedish opera singer. She belonged to the pioneer generation of performers of the Royal Swedish Opera. Hedvig Falk belonged to the first group of singers hired at t ...

(1748–1780)

The French Comédie Française Theater 1783–1792

''The French troupe was a separate and autonomous troupe within the building called "The French Theater". They came to Sweden in 1781 and performed in Drottningholm until 1783. They acted as instructors to the Swedish actors until the

Royal Dramatic Training Academy The Royal Dramatic Training Academy ( sv, Kungliga Dramatiska Teaterns Elevskola, also known as ''Dramatens elevskola''), was the acting school of Sweden's national stage, the Royal Dramatic Theatre, and for many years (1787–1964) seen as the ...

was founded. They were sent home after the death of King

.'' * Mademoiselle Baron * Monsieur Delaroche, director 1786-92 * Monsieur de La Tour * Madame Dutillier * François Marie Moussé Félix * Monsieur Feuillet * Louis Frossard * Sophie Hus (1758–182?) * Jean Marcadet *

Marie Louise Marcadet Marie Louise Marcadet née ''Baptiste'' (3 December 1758 – 28 February 1804) was a Swedish opera singer and a dramatic stage actress of French origin. She was active in the Royal Swedish Opera as a singer, and in the Royal Dramatic Theatr ...

(1758–1804) *

Anne Marie Milan Desguillons Anne Marie Milan Desguillons née ''Milan'' (8 May 1753–28 July 1829) was a French stage actress. She was active in the French Theater of Gustav III in Sweden in 1781-92, and principal of the Royal Dramatic Training Academy jointly with Josep ...

* Monvel, director 1781–86 * Monsieur Saint-Ange

The Swedish Dramatic Theatre 1787–1793

''The first native troupe for spoken drama in Bollhuset since 1754. The actors were instructed by the French troupe, and formed its own theater under Fredrik Ristell in 1787. When it went bankrupt in 1788, it formed the Royal Dramatic Theatre.'' * Samuel Ahlgren (1764–1816) *

Abraham de Broen Abraham de Broen (1759–1804) was a Swedish actor, stage manager and director. Biography Abraham Isaaksson De Broen belonged to the elite of the pioneer generation actors of the Royal Dramatic Theatre. He was also the founder and first direc ...

(1759–1804) *

Louis Deland Louis Joseph Marie Deland (25 April 1772 – 15 April 1823) was a Swedish ballet dancer, singer, actor, choreographer and ballet master in the Royal Swedish Ballet. He is often considered the first native male star in the Royal Swedish Ballet. ...

(1772–1823) *

Elisabeth Forsselius Gertrud Elisabeth Forsselius née ''Forsell'', also called Forselia, later known as Elisabet Haeffner and Elisabet Fahlgren (23 January 1771 – 15 February 1850), was a Swedish stage actress and opera singer. She belonged to the pioneer genera ...

(1771–1850) * Maria Franck (1769–1847) *

Lars Hjortsberg Lars Hjortsberg (22 November 1772 – 8 July 1843) was a Swedish stage actor. He belonged to the pioneer generation of elite actors of the Royal Dramatic Theatre and has, alongside Emilie Högquist, been referred to as the most famous Swedish ...

(1772–1843) * Fredrique Löwen (1760–1813) *

Ebba Morman "Ebba" Jeanette Morman (1769 – 9 October 1802) was a Swedish stage actress. She was active at the Royal Dramatic Theatre in 1791-1802 and was popular actress, known for her demonic character portraits. Life Ebba Morman married cleric Johan Pet ...

(1769–1802) *

Louise Götz Louise Götz (1772-?), was a Swedish stage actress. She belonged to the elite of the pioneer generation actors of the Royal Dramatic Theatre (1788-1805). She was the daughter of Louis Götz, who was a wig maker of the Royal Swedish Opera. She m ...

* Carl Schylander * Kjell Waltman (1758–1799) * Andreas Widerberg (1766–1810) *

Inga Åberg Inga Åberg (Ingeborg Elisabeth; 1773–1837) was a Swedish actress and opera singer. She was engaged as an opera singer at the Royal Swedish Opera, and as a stage actress at the Royal Dramatic Theater, between 1787 and 1810. Life Early li ...

(1773–1837)

References

Plays and Politics in Eighteenth Century Sweden
* Svensk Uppslagsbok 1947 års utgåva
Sources for the actors employed
* Henrikson, Alf, Fram till Nybroplan: om Kungliga Dramatiska teatern, Wiken, Höganäs, 1988

(In Dutch)

* Byström, Tryggve, Svenska komedien 1737-1754: en studie i Stockholmsteaterns historia, Norstedt, Stockholm, 1981 * Nordensvan, Georg, Svensk teater och svenska skådespelare från Gustav III till våra dagar. Förra delen, 1772-1842, Bonnier, Stockholm, 1917 Swedish theatre and Swedish actors from Gustav III to our days. First book 1772–1842' * Andersson, Ingvar (red.), Gustavianskt: 771-1810: en bokfilm, y utg. Wahlström & Widstrand, Stockholm, 1979 * Lars Löfgren: Svensk teater, Natur och Kultur. Stockholm 2003. . * Jonsson, Leif & Ivarsdotter, Anna (red.), Musiken i Sverige. 2, Frihetstid och gustaviansk tid 1720-1810, Fischer, Stockholm, 1993 (Music in Sweden. The age of Liberty and the Gustavian age 1720–1810) * Forser, Tomas & Heed, Sven Åke (red.), Ny svensk teaterhistoria. 1, Teater före 1800, Gidlund, Hedemora, 2007 (New Swedish theatre-history. Theatre before 1800) * Johan Flodmark: Stenborgska skådebanorna: bidrag till Stockholms teaterhistoria, Norstedt, Stockholm, 1893 * H. J. Huitfeldt: Christiania Theaterhistorie (The theater history of Christiania) {{Authority control Buildings and structures demolished in 1793 Former theatres in Stockholm 1667 establishments in Sweden 1793 disestablishments 17th century in Sweden 18th century in Sweden 17th century in Stockholm 18th century in Stockholm Demolished theatres Defunct real tennis venues