Assignment Holgersson

Modern rural play with Sweden's largest ensemble.

Finally, the Riksteatern is staging the classic Nils Holgersson's Wonderful Journey Through Sweden! Not only that, but they have managed to cast the lead role with Nils Holgersson himself, who is now 120 years old! But when Nils is about to make his entrance, he suddenly fails to appear – he has disappeared without a trace. But the show must go on, the audience has come. In his absence, the ensemble begins to stage what they remember of the fairy tale and the choreography and forgotten numbers that were cut long ago. It turns out that the props in the set design have been replaced, that the audience is not just an audience, and that the doors to the backstage are open. People from the local community come in.

The script is based on interview material and conversations held across the country over a two-year period. These were conducted by Stina Oscarson, Joakim Rindå, and Astrid Menasanch Tobieson.
During the 2026 election year, the Riksteatern gathers Sweden's largest ensemble—237 people—to tell the story that Nils would have told.

Astrid Menasanch Tobieson is a playwright and director. Her most recent work is the audience and critic favorite Gustav Vasa – the musical (which also premiered on SVT Play) and Ambulare, which won the award for best Nordic play at the Bergen Drama Festival.