The theater spectacle - The movie

Västerbottensteatern celebrated its 40th anniversary in 2020, and it was to be celebrated with a hilarious anniversary revue at the end of the year. Due to the pandemic, the premiere of Teaterspektaklet was postponed twice and in the end the entire performance was canceled.

So instead, we recorded parts of the Theater Spectacular into a film version that you can watch here.
There is also a film with interviews where the actors talk about what it was like to make the theater during a pandemic.

The theater spectacle - the movie:

Making theater in a pandemic:

About the Theater Spectacular:

Stage performance converted into a hybrid between theater and film.

It was intended as a grand anniversary performance in the fall of 2020 to celebrate Västerbottensteatern's forty years as a county theater. A pandemic intervened and the premiere had to be postponed. But today it is time for the retroactive premiere of the digital version The Theater Spectacle - The Movie.

The transformation to a digital production was necessary, but not without advantages, according to director/scriptwriter/composer Bobo Lundén.
- We accepted the conditions and decided to experiment with a hybrid of theater and film. There is a charm in this that I like. It was exciting to explore whether the essence of theater could be captured in something more like a film or television production.

Entertaining insight into the world of theater and acting
The basic script for the stage performance was rebuilt and it has become a theatrical spectacle that provides an entertaining and insightful insight into the world of theater and actors. There are obvious references to old shows and current cultural debates. The audience is also invited to an imaginary guest performance by the three great Västerbotten writers Sara Lidman, PO Enquist and Torgny Lindgren.

The ensemble of Sonja Lindblom, Mattias Kågström, Gunnar Eklund, Simon Maya and circus artist Marina Georgescu has had to face new scenic challenges. Sonja Lindblom talks about how a theater without an audience affects the production:
- "Here I had to 'start over' in a way and aim at the camera instead of the audience in the theater. I usually find it stimulating to work with a camera (I got over the annoyance of seeing myself on film a long time ago, haha!) I can use the movie as a tool, and I see more clearly what my colleagues are doing, learning a lot. But oh how I would love to have the audience's feedback....as the play is not finished until someone reacts to it.

The most ambitious
According to Bobo Lundén, this is the most ambitious conversion from stage performance to the film medium that Västerbottensteatern has done.
- The filming was done over two weeks with many cameras and not just a fixed camera filming a stage room. Live theater can never be replaced but some parts have actually become better. We have been able to work with close-ups, animations and effects, play with the visuals and use the possibilities offered by digital technology.

Interview film about making theater in a pandemic
Teaterspektaklet - The Movie is available to watch via VBT Play with premiere today. At the same time, the interview film Making theater in a pandemic is released. The ensemble from Teaterspektaklet talks about how they feel when the expectations of realizing and embodying dreams and illusions in front of an audience cannot be met.

THE THEATER SPECTACLE THE MOVIE
Authors of the movie

The Creation
Text: Martin Lindberg, Bobo Lundén
Song - The Theater Men
- Lyrics: Bobo Lundén
- Music: Mattias Kågström

Is your neck enough?
Song - Is the neck enough?
- Lyrics: Martin Lindberg and Bobo Lundén
- Music: Mattias Kågström

The wedding day
Text: Martin Lindberg

Theater Ghosts (based on an idea by Martin Lindberg)
Song - Theater ghosts
- Lyrics and music: Bobo Lundén

Torgny spring
Text: Martin Lindberg and Bobo Lundén

Theater worker song (after an idea by Martin Lindberg)
Song - The theater workers' song
- Lyrics and music: Bobo Lundén

Interviews in the city
Interviewers: Niklas Larsson Lirell, David Åkerlund

The fragile
Song - The fragile
- Lyrics: Martin Lindberg, Bobo Lundén
- Music: Mattias Kågström

Simeon Actors Studio
Text: Bobo Lundén, Simeon Maya

Arm's length distance
Song - Arm's length
- Lyrics: Martin Lindberg, Bobo Lundén
- Music: Mattias Kågström

Sara Lidman and Full speed ahead
Lyrics: Martin Lindberg, Bobo Lundén
Song - Full speed ahead
- Lyrics: Martin Lindberg, Bobo Lundén
- Music: Mattias Kågström