The Royal Dramatic Theatre in Stockholm ready for the Venice Biennale

- It is very honorable to have been invited with a piece in this fine context and I am really looking forward to presenting the performance in Venice, says Mattias Andersson, playwright and director as well as artistic director of Dramaten.

Today, the full program for Biennale Teatro, Biennale Danza and Biennale Musica was released at a press conference in Venice, Italy and Mattias Andersson's play We who lived our lives over is among the selected performances.

This performance is based on documentary interviews conducted by sociologists on a socioeconomic cross-section of Sweden's population. Everyone has answered the same question: What would you do differently if you could live your life over? Out of 137 different answers the playwright and director Mattias Andersson has created a performance on what life could have looked like if we were given a second chance. 

Other artists invited to the biennale include, among others, FC Bergman, Tiago Rodrigues and Romeo Castellucci.

Said in the press about We who got to relive our lives

“He (Mattias Andersson) and the ensemble know the art of elevating individual aspirations to a collective concern and rolling out existential frescoes over our contemporary time.” –Dagens Nyheter (Sweden’s biggest newspaper)

“It is an amazing production, almost bitingly simple and accessible, for several reasons. –Kulturnytt (Swedish Radio)

“Andersson knows how to use the room as a whole. Every scene, every movement and every tone seems precisely worked out and perfectly balanced.“ – Göteborgsposten (Gothenburg’s biggest newspaper)

“The cast is truly an ensemble, on equal terms, which reinforces the impression that it is about, could be about, any of us. It is encouraging and beautiful.” – Svenska Dagbladet (Sweden’s second biggest newspaper)

"This is performing arts at a high level, which dares to ask questions without giving answers" – Aftonbladet (Sweden´s biggest evening paper)

We who lived our lives over premiered at Backa Teater in Gothenburg on October 19, 2019 and at The Royal Dramatic Theatre in Stockholm on January 23, 2020. The performance has been filmed for Swedish television and is now being shown for the first time outside of Sweden. The production is a collaboration between Backa Teater and The Royal Dramatic Theatre.

By: Mattias Andersson. Actors: Adel Darwish, Ylva Gallon, Rasmus Lindgren, Josefin Neldén, Marie Richardson, Magnus Roosmann, Nemanja Stojanović, Kjell Wilhelmsen, Nina Zanjani. Set and costume design: Maja Kall. Choreography: Cecilia Milocco. Light: Charlie Åström. Sound and music: Jonas Redig. Make up: Josefin Ekerås. Dramaturge: Stefan Åkesson, Irena Kraus.

About Mattias Andersson
Mattias Andersson works as a playwright and a director. Since 2020 he is Artistic Director of Dramaten / The Royal Dramatic Theatre in Stockholm, Sweden. Between 2006-2019 he was Artistic Director for Backa Teater in Gothenburg, Sweden.

His plays have been performed at venues such as Stockholm City Theatre, The Royal Dramatic Theatre, Gothenburg City Theatre, Malmö City Theatre and in countries including Denmark, Germany, Russia, Norway, Finland, Romania and Serbia.

He was nominated for the Nordic Playwrights' Prize in 2006 and won the Swedish Ibsen Prize in 2007. For his production of Crime and Punishment at Backa Theatre he received the Swedish Theatre Critic's Award in 2007, won the Expressen theatrical award and was nominated for the Dagens Nyheter cultural award. 2009 he won the Swedish Theatre Critic’s Award again for his production of Little King Mattias. He received the international Prix Marulic in 2010 for his radio-version of Crime and Punishment. Received Svenska Dagbladets Thalia-price 2013. Received international Assitej’s ”award for artistic excellence” 2017. Nominated for Premio Europa per il Teatro / Europe Theatre Prize 2017.

Some of his performances have also been invited to international festivals in among others Germany, France, USA, Finland, Serbia, Italy, Poland, Belgium.

Biennale Theatre
The Venice Biennale International Theater Festival runs June 15 - July 1, 2023 in Venice, Italy. The program includes daily events from the contemporary theatre scene, together with productions made within the framework of the Biennale College Teatro. Biennale Teatro started in 1934 and artistically responsible are Stefano Ricci and Gianni Forte.