Confidencen

Coordinates: 59°23′10.65″N 18°1′2.35″E / 59.3862917°N 18.0173194°E / 59.3862917; 18.0173194
Source: Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia.
Confidencen
Solna, Sweden
Coordinates59°23′10.65″N 18°1′2.35″E / 59.3862917°N 18.0173194°E / 59.3862917; 18.0173194
Genre(s)Theatre
Construction
Built1750s
Opened1753

Confidencen, or Ulriksdal Palace Theatre (

Solna, in the Swedish capital Stockholm. Built in the 1750s and restored from the late 20th century, it is the oldest Rococo
theatre in Sweden.

History and design

A floor plan of the theatre dated 1783 with indication of rooms superimposed. Salong = auditorium; Scen = scene; Confidencematsalen = The "Confidence room"
Exterior and main entrance at the gable

The history of the theatre goes back to the 1750s, making it the oldest

cocklestoves; one of them may have been a dummy.[5]

The new theatre was finished in 1753.[3][7] The aforementioned French theatre troupe is known to have visited the theatre that same year.[4] The theatre took its name after the unusual table à confidence and it could originally accommodate 200 people.[3]

The theatre was used extensively during the 18th century.

Gustav III, two galleries were added in the auditorium. The play Helmfelt, written by the king himself, was staged here and the play Tillfället gör tjuven by Carl Israel Hallman [SV] premiered here in 1782.[4]

The theatre fell into disuse after the assassination of Gustav III in 1792. In the 1860s, the machinery for the scenery was dismantled. Reconstruction works for the auditorium were also started with the aim of transforming it into a

Charles XV to designs in a Renaissance Revival style. The work was aborted with the death of the king in 1872, but the room had already been significantly altered by then. It went on to serve multiple different uses including a school classroom, a military barracks and a telegraphic station. Attention was turned to the disused theatre in 1920 in connection with the re-opening of the similar Drottningholm Palace Theatre. In 1935 it was declared a protected cultural heritage and an association was formed in 1965 with the aim of restoring the theatre.[3][7]

Chairman[8] Christina Magnuson, with Dellert and her husband ballet master Nils-Åke Häggbom, presides over the 2016 annual membership meeting of the theatre's friendship society

In 1976 Kjerstin Dellert became engaged in restoring and managing the theatre and since then worked to gather support for its restoration, which has taken place gradually. The Confidence room and the table à confidence were restored in 1994-1997 and the scene and the machinery were restored in 2003-2004 after comparisons with the 18th-century palace theatres at Drottningholm Palace and Gripsholm Castle as well as with the help of the original blueprints and designs.[3] While reconstructing the historical machinery and keeping the historical ambiance, the lighting system was modernised and other practical changes made in order to make the backstage more comfortable and user-friendly. The work was carried out with the help of private donations, sponsorship and volunteer work. Kjerstin Dellert managed the theatre until her death in 2018.[3]

Contemporary use

The theatre building is used during the summer to host concerts, theatre performances and operas; live candles are used as illumination of the auditorium. In addition, guided tours are given of the premises when there is no performance.[1][7] It is part of the European Route of Historic Theatres.

Location

Confidencen is part of the Ulriksdal Palace park, one of the official residences of the Swedish Royal Family.[2] It lies within the Royal National City Park.

References

  1. ^ a b c "Confidencen". Confidencen (official site). Retrieved 18 June 2017.
  2. ^
    Swedish Royal Court. Archived from the original
    on 19 June 2017. Retrieved 18 June 2017.
  3. ^ a b c d e f g "historia" (in Swedish). Confidencen (official site). Retrieved 18 June 2017.
  4. ^ a b c d e von Malmborg, Boo (1971). Slott och herresäten i Sverige. De kungliga slotten del 1 (in Swedish). Malmö: Allhems förlag. pp. 279–28.
  5. ^ a b c d e von Knorring, Peter. "Confidencen". Peter von Knorring arkitektbyrå. Retrieved 18 June 2017.
  6. ^ von Knorring, Peter (2010). "RESTAURERINGEN AV CONFIDENCEMATSALEN 1994-1997" (in Swedish). Peter von Knorring arkitektkontor. Retrieved 18 June 2017.
  7. ^
    Swedish Royal Court. Archived from the original
    on 19 June 2017. Retrieved 18 June 2017.
  8. ^ "We at Confidencen: Board and General Management". Retrieved 9 May 2019.

External links

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Ulriksdals slottsteater.
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