Dramaten stages radical musical adaptation of Molière's 'The Misanthrope'

The adaptation leaves little of Molière's original text except the misanthrope character and the alexandrine verse form, though the specific contemporary references in these verses remain unclear. Hannes Meidal plays the protagonist Alceste, a court jester with total intolerance for nonsense. The creative team has a long history of working together.

According to Dagens Nyheter, Hannes Meidal described meeting Ohlin in 2000 as extras in a Thorsten Flinck production at Teater Plaza, a formative experience. According to Dagens Nyheter, Jens Ohlin noted that Flinck meant a lot to them then. Their first collaborative production was in 2005, based on Kafka's diaries, which started as a school project and later played at Strindbergs Intima Teater and Teater Galeasen.

Hannes was 20 and I was 25. It was in many ways a school for life. Thorsten meant a lot to us then.
Jens Ohlin, Director and co-writer
Said during an interview in the artist foyer at Dramaten, reflecting on meeting Hannes Meidal in 2000.Translated

They have since collaborated on several adaptations, including 'Hamlet' (2017), 'Faust' (2018), 'Macbeth' (2022), and 'Fanny and Alexander' (2024). The production connects to Dramaten's history, as Thorsten Flinck played the lead in Ingmar Bergman's 1995 production of 'The Misanthrope' at the theater, a performance Bergman criticized that became a turning point in Flinck's career. How this new adaptation's conclusion about mutual affirmation and value relates to its critique of hypocrisy, and its critical or audience reception compared to previous works, are yet to be seen.

We met in 2000 in connection with a production at Teater Plaza, directed by Thorsten Flinck. We were both extras.
Hannes Meidal, Actor and co-writer
Said during an interview in the artist foyer at Dramaten, describing how he and Jens Ohlin first met.Translated

It was during my second year at drama school, when everyone had to do their own project. I took on Kafka's diaries and asked Jens if he wanted to direct – which he had never done before. That became the start of a happy collaboration.
Hannes Meidal, Actor and co-writer
Said during an interview in the artist foyer at Dramaten, explaining the origin of their first collaborative production in 2005.Translated

When Hannes asked the question I got big tremors! It was meant as a school project, but later we got to do it at Strindbergs Intima Teater and also at Teater Galeasen.
Jens Ohlin, Director and co-writer
Said during an interview in the artist foyer at Dramaten, recalling their first collaborative production in 2005.Translated

We quickly discovered that we shared an interest in text. And we simply had a lot of fun together.
Jens Ohlin, Director and co-writer
Said during an interview in the artist foyer at Dramaten, explaining what made their collaboration work.Translated