Despite the restrictions on how many people can gather at an event, the city theater has chosen to start putting on performances for audiences.

- We hope that the restriction will not be so long. And a theater ensemble is a bit like a football team. If we are not allowed to train, we can not play a match, says Petra Brylander, theater director.

"Hack in the curve" hope

Stadsteatern has taken several safety measures to create a corona-safe environment. Most importantly, the number of people in the audience will not exceed 48 spectators.

That that audience does not provide revenue that covers the costs of the business is a matter of course.

- We are a company so there is capital to take off. If the business starts up as usual again, we hope that this will be like a notch in the curve, says Petra Brylander.

In the clip above, the theater director talks about the premiere on the Main Stage on September 19 - then “The Seagull” is given by Anton Tjchov.

The Uppsala kidnapping becomes a theater

Alongside the Main Stage, there will be a world premiere on the Small Stage for "It does not happen here" - a newly written play by Kristian Hallberg.

The basis is the very real drama that took place in Uppsala in 2011: A female psychology student and a friend of hers drugged a law student with sleeping pills in a meat pie.

And led him to a desolate house outside Umeå where the kidnapped man was detained until the police managed to track down his mobile.

The motive was thought to be to pressure the law student's parents on a ransom. Although the defendants denied the crime, they were sentenced to long prison terms in both the district court and the court of appeal.

"Important story to tell"

Ossi Niskala plays several roles in "It does not happen here". That the fiction has an actual background makes the performance special to rehearse.

- There is quite a lot to read about and also listen to. It feels like an important story to tell. What were the different motives involved in this? he says to SVT Uppsala.

In the clip, Ossi Niskala tells more about the work with "It does not happen here" which goes up on September 17 on the Little Stage:

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In the clip, Ossi Niskala tells more about the work with "It does not happen here" which goes up on September 17 on the Little Stage. Photo: SVT / Archive