Lejonkulan (In

English English usually refers to: * English language * English people English may also refer to: Peoples, culture, and language * ''English'', an adjective for something of, from, or related to England ** English national ide ...

: ''The Lion's Den''), was a historical

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 ...

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 ...

, Sweden, active in 1667–89. It's the historically second known theatre establishment of Stockholm, after

Björngårdsteatern Björngårdsteatern ('Bear's Yard Theater'), also called Christian Thums Commedi-huus ('Christian Thum's Comedy-house') and Theums Spelehus ('Theum's Play-house'), was a theatre in Stockholm in Sweden, active between 1640 and 1655. It was possibly ...

(1640–55).

History

Lejonkulan was a building down in and over the partly dry moat at the south corner of the royal palace Tre Kronor. From 1648, it was commonly known by the name "Lejonkulan" ("The Lion's Den"), because a

lion The lion (''Panthera leo'') is a large Felidae, cat of the genus ''Panthera'' native to Africa and India. It has a muscular, broad-chested body; short, rounded head; round ears; and a hairy tuft at the end of its tail. It is sexually dimorphi ...

, a tribute from the storming of Prague during the

Thirty Years War The Thirty Years' War was one of the longest and List of wars and anthropogenic disasters by death toll, most destructive conflicts in History of Europe, European history, lasting from 1618 to 1648. Fought primarily in Central Europe, an es ...

, was kept there during the reign of

Queen Christina of Sweden Christina ( sv, Kristina, 18 December (New Style) 1626 – 19 April 1689), a member of the House of Vasa, was Queen of Sweden in her own right from 1632 until her abdication in 1654. She succeeded her father Gustavus Adolphus upon his death ...

. It was constructed with a stable for the lion, an apartment for its retainer, and spectators galleries around an arena: during the coronation of Christina, the lion was made to fight other animals in it. The lion died in 1663. It was thereafter used as a riding hall for Charles XI and a storage for the castle armories. Just like two other buildings nearer the palace, the Little Bollhuset and the Great

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 ...

, it was occasionally used by the various foreign theater companies performing in Stockholm in the 17th-century, where there was not yet any professional native theater. Lejonkulan as a theatre has therefore often been confused with

Theatre, in turn confused between Stora Bollhuset and

Lilla Bollhuset Lilla is a female given name, derived from Elizabeth. Given name * Lilla Barzó, a Hungarian tennis player * Lilla Bodor, a Hungarian painter * Lilla Brignone, an Italian film and theater actress * Lilla Cabot Perry, an American artist * Lilla ...

, as the three buildings were all on and off used for theatrical performances Stockholm in parallel during the same period. Research has proven Lejonkulan to have been a very large building, and the painting by Govert Camphuysen from 1661 depicting it as small has been deemed not to have been proportionate. In 1667, Lejonkulan was redecorated and inaugurated as a theater by the Dutch theater company of Jan Baptista van Fornenbergh, who signed a contract to perform annually for the Swedish royal court the same year. Foreign theater companies were hired to perform for the court, often from France, Germany and the Netherlands, as Sweden did not have any theater tradition and therefore no native actors. Among the companies performing where those of Johann Christoffer Loner 1662-64 and 1668–69, Johann August Ulich 1668 in and 1696–97, David Müllstreich 1686-87 and 1691, and Sebastiano di Scio in 1688-89 and 1695-96. Because both Lejonkulan and the two Bollhus theaters were used as theater localities at the same time, there are confusion as in exactly which building they performed while visiting Stockholm. In 1686, the first Swedish language theater was opened in Lejonkulan. This was an all-male student theater troupe composed of non professional students from Uppsala, but their performances were open to the public. They were given royal protection and the Lejonkulan Theater was reserved for them the following three years. In 1689, the theatre was moved to Bollhuset, which was renovated as a permanent local for the theatre in 1699. It was long unknown what happened to Lejonkulan: some sources claim Lejonkulan burned down in 1689, while others assert that the change was made for artistic reasons, and that Lejonkulan burned down with the royal palace in 1697. Research has proven, that Lejonkulan was somewhat damaged by fire in 1685, and though repaired and continued to be used as a theater, the fire caused it to be judged as a fire hazard, which caused it to be demolished in 1689.Dahlberg, Gunilla, Komediantteatern i 1600-talets Stockholm, Komm. för Stockholmsforskning, Stockholm, 1992

Actors and companies in the Theater of Lejonkulan

The following troupes likely also performed at the theatres of Little and Great

The Dutch troupe 1667-1674

''This troupe opened the Theater with the play ''Orontes en Satira'' by Magnon in February 1667.'' * Salomon Fino * Jan Baptista van Fornenberg, 1624-1697, director of the troupe. * Helena Heusen, 1622-1680. * Daniel Loodewicx * Anna Parkar-Boonefaes * Geertruyt Rijndorp-Boonefaes *

Dorotea van Fornenbergh Dorotea van Fornenbergh (born between 1647 and 1654 – died after 1697), was a Dutch stage actor. Life Born to theatre director Jan Baptist van Fornenbergh (1624–1697) and actor Helena Heusen (ca. 1622–1680), married in 1696 to Johan H ...

The Dutch troupe 1680-1684

''This troupe performed the play ''Disa'' for the public in 1684, and thus, the theater is known to be more than a court theater from this point forward.'' * Gillis Nozeman, husband of

Ariana Nozeman Ariana Nozeman (alt: A(d)riana Noseman/Nooseman): born Ariana van den Bergh (1626/1628 in Middelburg – December 7, 1661 in Amsterdam), was the first woman to play a leading role in a public play in The Netherlands. She made her debut on stage o ...

* Trial Parkar * Jacob Sammers, 1632-1689.

The Swedish student-troupe from Uppsala 1686–1691

''This (all male) troupe was made up of idealistic students. It had played in Uppsala 1682-86. They were moved to the locals in Bollhuset in 1689.'' *

Olaus Rudbeck Olaus Rudbeck (also known as Olof Rudbeck the Elder, to distinguish him from his son, and occasionally with the surname Latinized as ''Olaus Rudbeckius'') (13 September 1630 – 12 December 1702) was a Swedish scientist and writer, professor o ...

Johan Celsius Johan * Johan (given name) * ''Johan'' (film), a 1921 Swedish film directed by Mauritz Stiller * Johan (band), a Dutch pop-group ** ''Johan'' (album), a 1996 album by the group * Johan Peninsula, Ellesmere Island, Nunavut, Canada * Jo-Han, a manu ...

* Isaak Börk, the director of the company * Carl Johan Ollieqvisth * Andreas Strömbergh * Georg Törnqvist-Adlercreutz, actor, writer and translator * Johan Widman

References

* Lars Löfgren ''Svensk teater'' (2003), Stockholm,

Natur & Kultur Natur & Kultur is a Swedish publishing foundation with head office in Stockholm known for an extensive series of teaching materials. Its logotype is an apple tree. Overview The publishing house was founded in 1922 by Johan Hansson and his wif ...