''Master Olof'' ( sv, Mäster Olof) is a historical drama in five acts by the Swedish playwright

August Strindberg Johan August Strindberg (, ; 22 January 184914 May 1912) was a Swedish playwright, novelist, poet, essayist and painter.Lane (1998), 1040. A prolific writer who often drew directly on his personal experience, Strindberg wrote more than sixty p ...

. The story is about the reformer Olaus Petri's struggle against the

Roman Catholic Church The Catholic Church, also known as the Roman Catholic Church, is the largest Christian church, with 1.3 billion baptized Catholics worldwide . It is among the world's oldest and largest international institutions, and has played a ...

in the 16th century. First written in 1872, Strindberg rewrote it many times in both prose and verse. Ludvig Josephson (the new artistic director of Stockholm's New Theatre) agreed to stage ''Master Olof'', eventually opting for the prose version—the five-hour-long première opened on 30 December 1881 under the direction of August Lindberg to favourable reviews. This production represented Strindberg's breakthrough in the theatre.Lane (1998, 1040).

References

Sources

* Lane, Harry. 1998. "Strindberg, August." In ''The Cambridge Guide to Theatre.'' Ed. Martin Banham. Cambridge: Cambridge UP. 1040-1041. . * Meyer, Michael. 1985. ''Strindberg: A Biography''. Oxford Lives ser. Oxford: Oxford UP, 1987. . 1872 plays 1881 plays Plays by August Strindberg Plays set in Sweden Plays based on actual events Plays set in the 16th century Gustav I of Sweden {{1870s-play-stub