Gripsholm Palace Theatre (SE) visit 6 June 2015

In Grimpsholm castle in Mariefred we find King Gustavs III private theatre.

Court theatres are often found in strange places, and this one is located in one of the towers.

The original design quickly proved to small, so the tower itself was enlarged to host a bigger theatre.

The king's private palace theatre was completed in 1781. It was designed cleanly inspired on Palladio's Teatro Olimpico in Vicenza, Italy. 

Gripsholm Palace Theatre has been preserved in its entirety since the last recorded performance in 1785. 

 Located in it's position in the tower, the theatre has a peculiar cross section.

 The stage set displayed on stage today is the one used when the play "Drottning Christina"

 The upper machinery is on an enchanting complexity and poetry

 Again, here the understage machinery is impressive, and can, thanks to the windows, being admired at daylight.

At the time, it must have been possible to work there in daylight to, something a lot of present day theatre technicians will envy.

 Sometimes people ask what the the attraction of ancient theatre technology is.
Often one of the attraction is the pure aestatic beauty of the machines.

We visited the theatre in the company of the eminent theatre historian Iain Mackintosh.

He took the opportunity to regale us on a monologue dating from the era the theatre was in use.

The theatre can be visited daily, including a good view of the 18th century stage machinery below the stage.

The site is also accessible by boat from Stockholm (a very nice trip) and the village of Mariefred is also worth a visit.