written and directed by Mattias Andersson
set design and costume by Anna Heymowska
choreography Tove Sahlin
hair and make-up design Linda Boije af Gennäs
light design Thomas Fredriksson
sound design & music Jonas Redig
with Stefan Abelsson, Hannah Alem Davidson, Ulf Dohlsten, Ibrahim Faal, Ylva Gallon, Anna Harling, Maria Hedborg, Gunilla Johansson, Mats Nahlin, Josefin Neldén, Ramtin Parvaneh, Ulf Rönnerstrand, Nemanja Stojanovic, Emelie Strömberg, Ove Wolf
production Backa Teater, Göteborgs Stadsteater
coproduction Prospero (Théâtre National de Bretagne, France; Théâtre de Liège, Belgium; Emilia Romagna Teatro Fondazione, Italy; Schaubühne am Lehniner Platz, Germany; National Theatre of Croatia / World Theatre Festival Zagreb, Croatia; Athens and Epidaurus Festival, Greece)
Duration 2h
National première
Played in Swedish with Italian and English subtitles
In a galaxy far, far away… Up in the distant north… In a grey working king class suburb of Göteborg, Sweden… The year was 1978 and some radical theatre workers founded a theatre company: Backa Teater. Their aim was to interact with the young people of the community, and especially with the ones who came from the working class or from socially troubled backgrounds. The ensemble searched for scripts, music and theatrical shapes that could describe and connect with the outcast, the troubled youth, the misfits of the Swedish society in 1978. They wanted to use theatre to inspire the younger generation and thereby change the course towards a better world.
This performance is a scenic investigation of how social constructions and the need for scapegoats create the misfits of a society. Documentary pictures, scripts and music from the history of Backa Teater, from 1978 to 2016, are combined with the fluctuating narratives about the outcast, the troubled youth, the misfits in news media, music and film. In this choreographic and visual piece 14 actors and one musician reveal the constantly shifting images, attributes and gestures of the antagonistic part that is: The Misfit.
Authentic texts and voices from the outcast, the troubled youth and the misfits of Europe 2016 are included in the piece.
Backa Teater and Mattias Andersson. Biographies
Backa Teater
In 1978 a small group employed at Göteborgs Stadsteater decided to found a new theatre. Their aim was to use theatre as an art form to inspire the younger generation and thereby change the course towards a better world. The company was created as an off-shoot of Göteborgs Stadsteater and was situated in the suburb Backa. This was the beginning of the Backa Teater.
Over the years, Backa Teater has produced and achieved success with both newly written and classical works for children, youth and adults. It has been honored with several awards, nationally as well as internationally, for their pioneering way of making and performing theatre.
Today Backa Teater is one of Sweden’s most important theatres where the combination of artistic courage and high quality craftsmanship set the standard for the always well acclaimed performances.
Through the years Backa Teater has attracted well renowned directors and playwrights from all over the world. The team of Backa Teater always works with an ambition to make something never seen before. That in combination with the large black box venue creates an arena for guesting artists to accomplish something completely new.
The performances of Backa Teater and Mattias Andersson have gained international acclaim and have toured all over the world. King Matt the First visited Washington in 2010 and Utopia 2012 has been screened in Pskov in 2014. Acts of goodness is frequently programmed for festivals around Europe and recently visited Köln and Helsinki.
Mattias Andersson
Renowned playwright and director Mattias Andersson has been the Artistic Director of Backa Teater since 2006. Andersson often explores the darker side of human nature and has received a lot of acclaim for his way of clashing documentary material with classical texts.
Andersson has been awarded the Ibsen-prize in 2007 and the Swedish Theatre Critics Award in 2007 and 2009. Performances like Crime and Punishment, The Mental States of Sweden, Gangs of Gothenburg, Utopia 2012 and Acts of Goodness are well acclaimed both nationally and internationally. Several of Andersson’s plays have been translated and staged all over Europe.
Mattias Andersson has previosly directed several well acclaimed performances, such as:
- The Idiot, The Royal Dramatic Theatre, 2015
- Acts of Goodness, Backa Teater, 2014
- The Mental States of Sweden, The Royal Dramatic Theatre, 2013
- Utopia 2012, Backa Teater, 2012
- King Matt the First, Backa Teater, 2009
- Gangs of Gothenburg, Backa Teater, 2009
- Crime and Punishment, Backa Teater, 2007
- The Mental States of Gothenburg, Angereds Teater, 2006