The script, based on two years of conversations and interviews with people nationwide, was completed after Oscarson's death last spring by Astrid Menasanch Tobieson, who also directs. According to a press release, one of Oscarson's last written wishes was that Tobieson would take over and finish the script. Tobieson, recently successful with 'Gustav Vasa - the musical' and 'Ambulare', which won best Nordic play at Bergen Dramatikkfestival, is the dramatist and director of the production.
The play is described as a 'gårdscabaret' by the late Stina Oscarson and Astrid Menasanch Tobieson. The script draws on interview material and conversations held across the country over two years, conducted by Oscarson, Joakim Rindå, and Tobieson. In the plot, Nils Holgersson, now 120 years old, is cast but disappears, forcing the actor ensemble to perform from memory as local people enter through open backstage doors.
The professional cast includes Siri Hamari, Per Öhagen, Viktor Brobacke, Joakim Rindå, and local participants at each location. Specific local participants are listed for performances in Burträsk on 29 April, Umeå on 27 April, Kramfors on 23 April, Örnsköldsvik on 21 April, Östersund on 18 April, Upplands Väsby on 16 April, and Klintehamn on 14 April. For Eskilstuna on 7 May 2026, 12 local talents have been recruited for the local ensemble.
If anything, it is the mission of art to venture into the impossible. By crossing Selma Lagerlöf's national romanticism with today's documentary testimonies, Stina Oscarson wanted to give us an opportunity to try to understand Sweden together. Who we have been, how we have changed and what Sweden we can become.
The production unfolded in three phases: from February 2024 to September 2025, collection and script work through meetings and interviews across the country resulted in a script for three professional actors and 12 amateurs from the local area. From October to December 2025, each organizer found and engaged volunteers for the 12 roles voiced by locally rooted people. From January to May 2026, rehearsals with professional actors took place in Hallunda and online with local ensembles on one or two occasions, with the tour starting in Ystad in March and moving north through landscapes and meetings with people, stories, and a varied audience.
The premiere on a Saturday evening at Ystad Theatre was sold out. A reviewer noted that the play glides over today's Sweden with good intentions, sometimes a bit jerky. Riksteatern's 2026 spring repertoire explores the image of Sweden, according to a press release.
Dritëro Kasapi, Riksteatern's theatre director, said in a press release, "If anything, it is the mission of art to venture into the impossible. By crossing Selma Lagerlöf's national romanticism with today's documentary testimonies, Stina Oscarson wanted to give us an opportunity to try to understand Sweden together. " Kasapi also stated, "Riksteatern's spring repertoire contemplates from different perspectives and artistic approaches the Swedish self-image which is currently undergoing a major paradigm shift.
Riksteatern's spring repertoire contemplates from different perspectives and artistic approaches the Swedish self-image which is currently undergoing a major paradigm shift. These performances challenge and give different interpretations of us historically, close to our skin today.
" Other productions include 'Veteranerna', a newly written play based on meetings and interviews with some of the over 50,000 Swedes who have served in war zones abroad. The music monologue 'Zarah' by Lucas Svensson portrays the last day of the controversial star Zarah Leander, performed by Katarina Ewerlöf and directed by Sunil Munshi. Playwright Björn Elgerd has created a new comedy 'När strippklubben kom till byn' inspired by small-town strip clubs, directed by Anna Novovic.
'Shifters' by Benedict Lombe, described by The Guardian as 'the perfect bittersweet romantic comedy', will have its Swedish premiere in collaboration with The Bush Theatre. Riksteatern Crea reinterprets a Shakespeare classic in 'Köpmannen på Martha’s Vineyard', creating a world where deafness is the norm. Dancer and choreographer Virpi Pahkinen celebrates 40 years on stage with 'Virpi Lunaire', a new performance inspired by the moon's quiet light.
Choreographer duo OR/ELLER has created 'Yonder', a coming-of-age dance piece for six young dancers with music by Toussaint 'Tusse' Chiza in collaboration with composers Matilda Bådagård and Sophia Ersson. A circus guest performance 'Marianne och Jag' by Apocalyptic Circus features aerial acrobatics, partner acrobatics, tightrope walking, and clowning. Riksteatern targets regular theatre audiences, curious dance audiences, dedicated circus audiences, school students, sign language users, and those interested in concerts with international artists.
There is a discrepancy in the reported ensemble size: some sources state 237 people, while others mention 256. The exact date of the Eskilstuna performance is unclear, as one source says Thursday while another specifies 7 May 2026. Details of how Stina Oscarson passed away and when exactly have not been disclosed.
The specific roles of the 12 local talents in Eskilstuna and the selection and training process for local participants remain unconfirmed.