The Dance of Death

Teater Dictat presents The Dance of Death in autumn 2026, with its premiere at Varbergs Teatern on 28 August and tour performances in September. This is an adaptation of Strindberg's play by British dramaturg and director Matthew Short, in collaboration with the Scottish Perth Theatre - where an English version is planned for spring 2027 with a partially shared ensemble.

In this production, the play's narrative is set in a dystopian future where the climate crisis has accelerated into an immediate threat. The famous marriage is queered into a gay couple within the colonial ruling class on a fictional Scottish island. Strindberg's text has been adapted into English and translated back into Swedish with the original only glimpsed in the background - employing ecodramaturgy, a queer approach, and particular attention to minority culture.

Matthew Short and Johan Svensson work with a British perspective on the Swedish and a Swedish perspective on the British.

Direction, dramaturgy, adaptation, concept: Matthew Short. Artistic direction, translation, performance: Johan Svensson.