Stenborg Troupe - The First Period

The First Period

The Stenborg troupe is most known for its activity in Stockholm, were it preserved a Swedish speaking theater during a period when the French culture otherwise dominated the Swedish stage. The theatre did not have a good reputation among the upper-classes; the actors were from "the jail, soldiers, alcoholized lawyers, servants and washing-women", the costumes were from ragshops and the music from public-houses, (were they often performed), and the plays was described as vulgar; these judgements was given by members of the upper classes, who preferred French theater, but the Stenborg Company was much appreciated by the public, who could not understand the French language at Bollhuset. They represented a native speaking theater in the 1750s and 1760s. During the period of 1754–71, Swedish plays where only performed in the city stage of Bollhuset two times; Syrinx (1761) and Herkules på skiljovägen (1762) to the benefict of musician Petter Lillström, husband of Elisabeth Lillström actress in the Stenborg Troupe. At the performenace of Jeppe på Berget by Holberg in 1763, the theatre on Kindstugatan, it was noted that the locale had place for three hundred spectators.

Among the actors were former tailor Jean Löfblad, the Harlekin of the troup, the Harlekin of the company, Fredric Neuman, Johanna Löfblad, earlier active both at Bollhuset and the Lindahl troupe and active at the Stenborg troupe until the 1790s and thereby one of the longest active actors in Sweden in the 18th century, and the prima donna Christina Catharina Lindberg, also earlier active in Bollhuset.

The performances where often Harlequin-comedys, in which the star was Jean Löfblad, but also the old Swedish plays from Bollhuset and foreign plays, often from France. The most popular play was The defended Venus, which was first performed in Bollhuset, and it was said, that whenever the theatre needed money and had to be sure to have a large audience, the gave this play. In 1770, the Houseghost and then The enchanted bride groom by Holberg was performed, which was aroused attention as the first play was performed only by men, the latter only by women.

In 1771, king Gustav III of Sweden fired the French theater company, and the Swedish actors, led by Petter Stenborg, saw their chance and asked to perform a play at the opening of the parliament of 1772. In the play, Stenborg asked the monarch to protect the native speaking theatre. At the opening of parliament in 1772, the troupe of Petter Stenborg appeared before King Gustav III and all the public in Bollhuset after the French troupe had left it, in which play the son of Stenborg, Carl, again asked for protection for the native theatre. The play was considered very bad by the nobility, but the public applauded it immensely, which was seen as a public appeal to open a theatre in the native language again. After this, the monarch decided to found a native speaking opera and theatre, though not with the Stenborg troupe.