The Theatre of Drottningholm - Then and Now tells the story of the Drottningholm Court Theatre from 1766 - the year it was built - to today’s performances presented during the annual summer festivals. The court theatre was rarely used after Gustav III’s death in 1792 until it was rediscovered in 1921. The twentieth-century restoration uncovered the almost perfectly preserved stage machinery, painted flats and backdrops, from which much is learned about the staging practices of Baroque theatre and opera.
This book provides a vivid picture of the Drottningholm Court Theatre: the architecture, the many different activities which took place here during the Gustavian era, the historical context within which the theatre operated, the staging practices as learned through the restored theatre, and the use made of the theatre since its rediscovery to explore the nature of Baroque performance. This well-written survey of Drottningholm is a reliable and detailed record of the theatre, accessible to the interested reader and theatre historians alike.
Beautifully illustrated with full-colour images of modern productions performed at the theatre as well as paintings and sketches from its 18th-century heyday, the appendices contain primary source material about Drottningholm, available for the first time in English. Also included are complete lists of repertoire performed in the Gustavian period and since 1922.
Thomas Postlewait writes in his preface:
This fine book thus meets the needs of several types of readers. It serves those summer visitors who want a well-written and accessible survey of Drottningholm that provides a reliable and detailed record of their immediate experiences; it serves practitioners of theatre and opera who want to understand the challenges of crafting successful performances for this specific site and its special audiences; it serves teachers of theatre and opera who want a solid historical record of this theatre, including its architectural features and staging practices; and it serves theatre scholars who require an accurate and fully engaged study of one of the few remaining theatres from the Enlightenment era. To their credit, Sauter and Wiles address each of these potential readers. They invite us, chapter by chapter, to experience the historical context and artistic qualities of Drottningholm Theatre.
