Opened 1886 | Phone +46 8 545 103 80 | |
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Address Vasagatan 19, 111 22 Stockholm, Sweden Similar Oscarsteatern, Göta Lejon, Södra Teatern, Maximteatern, China teatern | ||
Vasateatern blir del av scandic grand central
Vasateatern or "Vasan" (in English: The Vasa Theatre) is a private theatre in Stockholm, Sweden. It is located at Vasagatan 19-21 in central Stockholm.
It was built in 1886 and has for many years been Stockholm's (and Sweden's) main private theatre for comedies and farces. In this genre it has a proud history: it was for many years (1895-1928) run by the legendary Swedish theatre manager Albert Ranft who in the early 20th century staged a large number of French and British comedy plays. He had personal contact with many of the most popular European comedy playwrights at the time, including George Bernard Shaw, and successfully had a great number of contemporary comedy plays translated and staged in Sweden at "Vasan". Plays such as Oscar Wilde's The Importance of Being Earnest (Mr Ernst), Shaw's You Never Can Tell (Man kan aldrig veta) and Major Barbara, and Jack Straw by W. Somerset Maugham. Popular French playwrights at the theatre included Georges Feydeau, Georges Berr and Nancy & Jean Rieux. Strindberg was also produced at the Vasateatern.
Over the years it has produced most of the classic farces and comedies. Historic long-runners from the 1950s to the 1980s include Charley's Aunt, the stage version of Cactus Flower and The Spanish Fly (Die spanische Fliege), the popular 1914 German farce by Franz Arnold and Ernst Bach.
Legendary Swedish thespian Gösta Ekman (senior) is said to haunt the theatre at nights.
The theatre closed in 2009 in connection with an extensive renovation in the neighbourhood that was transformed into Scandic Grand Central Hotel. Large parts of the interior of the theatre was taken down while the auditorium was used as a dump during the construction. Parts of the theatre's former premises have been occupied by the hotel business. For example, the theatre cafe integrated with the hotel and converted into the bistro. After the property is sold by the developer Diligentia to Norwegian KLP Eiendom the plans for the theatre are unclear and the theatre operations remained dormant. Because of monument protection the location must be preserved. The beautiful auditorium is preserved, but as of 2012 there were no theatre shows in production.
Krister Henriksson, the Swedish actor used to be the co-owner and Theatre Director.