Royal Dramatic Theatre

Royal Dramatic Theatre
Royal Dramatic Theatre
General information
Town or city
Country	Sweden
Completed	18 February 1908
Design and construction
Architect	Fredrik Lilljekvist

The Royal Dramatic Theatre (Swedish: Kungliga Dramatiska Teatern, colloquially Dramaten) is Sweden's national stage for "spoken drama", founded in 1788. Around one thousand shows are put on annually on the theatre's eight running stages.

The theatre has been at its present location in the Art Nouveau building at Nybroplan, , since 1908. The theatre was built by the architect Fredrik Lilljekvist. Famous artists like Carl Milles and Carl Larsson were involved in making the decorations, and some of the interior decorations were made by Prince Eugen.

The theatre's acting school, Dramatens elevskola, produced many actors and directors who would go on to be famous, including Gustaf Molander (who also taught there), Alf Sjöberg, Greta Garbo, Vera Schmiterlöw, Signe Hasso, Ingrid Bergman, Gunnar Björnstrand, Max von Sydow, and Bibi Andersson. The school was split off as a separate institution in 1967 (see Swedish National Academy of Mime and Acting).

The first Swedish theatre opened in Bollhuset and Lejonkulan in 1667 and employed only foreign companies. While the plays were sometimes open to the public, it remained more or less a court theatre. The first Swedish play, Den Svenska Sprätthöken, was performed in 1737 by the first Swedish theatre company. The Swedish theatre was turned out of their playhouse by Queen Louisa Ulrika of Prussia after the 1753-54 season, and the playhouse was given to a French company. In 1773, king Gustav III fired the French company and encouraged Swedish talents, and thus, the Royal Swedish Opera was founded in Bollhuset. A theatre of spoken drama was founded in the same building in 1787, but was not to last long. In 1788 the director fled the country to escape his creditors, so the actors formed a company and asked for the king's protection, which led to the establishment of the national theatre.