Du Londel Troupe
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The Du Londel Troupe was a French 18th-century
theatre Theatre or theater is a collaborative form of performing art that uses live performers, usually actors or actresses, to present the experience of a real or imagined event before a live audience in a specific place, often a stage. The perform ...
troupe. From 1753 to 1771, it was active as the French Theatre of
Sweden Sweden, formally the Kingdom of Sweden,The United Nations Group of Experts on Geographical Names states that the country's formal name is the Kingdom of SwedenUNGEGN World Geographical Names, Sweden./ref> is a Nordic country located on ...
, where it played a great part in that country's theatre history. The French troupe performed in
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in
Denmark ) , song = ( en, "King Christian stood by the lofty mast") , song_type = National and royal anthem , image_map = EU-Denmark.svg , map_caption = , subdivision_type = Sovereign state , subdivision_name = Danish Realm, Kingdom of Denmark ...
in 1748–53. They also performed in
Oslo Oslo ( , , or ; sma, Oslove) is the capital and most populous city of Norway. It constitutes both a county and a municipality. The municipality of Oslo had a population of in 2022, while the city's greater urban area had a population of ...
in
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during the king's stay there in 1749. The troupe was under the leadership of
Jeanne Du Londel Marie Jeanne Du Londel also called du Londel and Dulondel, née ''Chateauneuf'' (1706 – in Stockholm 1772) was a French actress and theatre director. She was the leader of the Du Londel Troupe. She was married to the actor Jean Du Londel. She p ...
, widow of Jean Du Londel, and Pierre de Laynay in 1753, when they were invited to Sweden by the initiative of the Swedish queen,
Louisa Ulrika of Prussia Louisa Ulrika of Prussia ( sv, Lovisa Ulrika; german: Luise Ulrike) (24 July 1720 – 16 July 1782) was Queen of Sweden from 1751 to 1771 as the wife of King Adolf Frederick. She was queen mother during the reign of King Gustav III. Backgr ...
. The troupe followed the royal court between the royal palaces and performed on the court- theatres, such as the
Drottningholm Theatre The Drottningholm Palace Theatre ( sv , Drottningholms slottsteater) is an opera house located at Drottningholm Palace in Stockholm, Sweden. It is one of the few 18th century theatres in Europe that is still used as a theatre with its original ...
and
Confidencen Confidencen, or Ulriksdal Palace Theatre ( sv, Ulriksdals slottsteater), is a theatre in the park of Ulriksdal Palace in Solna, in the Swedish capital Stockholm. Built in the 1750s and restored from the late 20th century, it is the oldest Rococo t ...
, but they also performed for the public in the theatre of
Bollhuset Bollhuset, also called (The Big Ball House), (Ball House Theater), and Gamla Bollhuset (Old Ball House) at various times, was the name of the first theater in Stockholm, Sweden; it was the first Swedish theater and the first real theater buildin ...
in
Stockholm Stockholm () is the Capital city, capital and List of urban areas in Sweden by population, largest city of Sweden as well as the List of urban areas in the Nordic countries, largest urban area in Scandinavia. Approximately 980,000 people liv ...
during the
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. After the season of 1753-54, the Stockholm theatre was reserved for them and the Swedish actors were turned out, which interrupted the development of the Swedish language theatre; the Swedish theatre formed the Stenborg Troupe. The Du Londel Troupe performed the latest plays from Paris and also
ballet Ballet () is a type of performance dance that originated during the Italian Renaissance in the fifteenth century and later developed into a concert dance form in France and Russia. It has since become a widespread and highly technical form of ...
s, but they largely remained a pleasure for those who could speak French. In 1771, the French Theatre was dissolved by
Gustav III of Sweden Gustav III (29 March 1792), also called ''Gustavus III'', was King of Sweden from 1771 until his assassination in 1792. He was the eldest son of Adolf Frederick of Sweden and Queen Louisa Ulrika of Prussia. Gustav was a vocal opponent of what ...
, who wished to establish a Swedish-language national theatre. The Du Londel troupe is mostly remembered in history for interrupting the development of the Swedish theatre and replacing it with a theatre which was only understandable for those who could speak French; but the current view is that they made "The gracious French singing theatre" popular in Sweden, and thereby inspired to the foundation of the
Royal Dramatic Theatre The Royal Dramatic Theatre ( sv, Kungliga Dramatiska Teatern, colloquially ''Dramaten'') is Sweden's national stage for "spoken drama", founded in 1788. Around one thousand shows are put on annually on the theatre's five running stages. The the ...
and the
Royal Swedish Opera Royal Swedish Opera ( sv, Kungliga Operan) is an opera and ballet company based in Stockholm, Sweden. Location and environment The building is located in the center of Sweden's capital Stockholm in the borough of Norrmalm, on the eastern side ...
.


See also

*
La troupe du Roi de Suede La troupe du Roi de Suede, or ''Roi de Suede'' for short, was a French-speaking Swedish court theater, active at the Royal Swedish court from 1699 until 1706. The ''Roi de Suede'' was engaged by Charles XII of Sweden because a French language ...


References

* Lars Löfgren (2003). Svensk teater (Swedish theatre). Stockholm: Natur och Kultur. . * Forser, Tomas & Heed, Sven Åke (red.), Ny svensk teaterhistoria. 1, Teater före 1800, Gidlund, Hedemora, 2007 * Anna Ivarsdotter Johnsson and Leif Jonsson: ''Musiken i Sverige. Frihetstiden och Gustaviansk tid 1720-1810'' (Music in Sweden. The age of liberty and the Gustavian age 17201-1810) * Klas Ralf, ''Operan 200 år. Jubelboken'' (The Opera 200 years. The Jubilee book) Prisma * H.J. Huitfeldt, Christiania Theaterhistorie (in Norwegian) {{authority control 18th century in Sweden 18th-century theatre French comedy troupes Former theatres in Stockholm 1753 establishments in Sweden 1771 disestablishments in Europe Theatre companies in Sweden 18th century in Stockholm Sweden during the Age of Liberty