How Svenska Teatern became the first theatre to perform Astrid Lindgren’s classic, Ronia, the Robber’s Daughter

Astrid Lindgren’s beloved children’s novel, Ronia, the Robber’s Daughter (sw: Ronja Rövardotter) first opened at Svenska Teatern in 1987, bringing the iconic heroine to the stage for the very first time. This original adaptation remained, for a long time, the only stage version personally approved by the world-famous children’s book author. It was the result of lengthy letter correspondence between Lindgren and Svenska Teatern’s then dramaturge and artistic director, Annina Enckell and Georg Dolivo.

We meet Annina Enckell on an autumn day in 2023, at a café in Kruunuhaka. Enckell, previously known as Paasonen, pulls a pile of Astrid Lindgren’s typewritten letters from a bag. Astrid’s voice still comes through in the nearly 40-year-old pages – polite, kind, and witty, but also firm. She is a woman who knows exactly what she wants.

”Dear Georg Dolivo and Annina Paasonen, thank you for your letter! It would be such fun to see my work performed at Svenska Teatern again, but I’m sorry to say that I don’t wish to part with Ronia! I’m thinking of dramatising the book myself eventually, but at the moment that isn’t possible.”

This first letter marked the start of a persistent correspondence between Svenska Teatern and the world-famous author.

– We had actually intended to produce an entirely different children’s play. But our resident stage director, Erik Pöysti, became absolutely enraptured with the book after his wife read it for their children, Oskar and Alma Pöysti, during a road trip in Italy. Erik came racing to me and Georg and announced that we simply had to get Ronia on stage, Annina Enckell reminisces.

The book had only been published five years earlier, and no one had yet secured the rights for a stage adaptation. Enckell and Dolivo decided to write to Lindgren directly. Although she was familiar with the theatre, she still intended to adapt the book herself and was reluctant to give up creative control.

– It was always exciting when a new letter from Astrid arrived. She would always reply quickly, sometimes in just two days. We understood that we had to follow her lead – to do things exactly as she wanted, Annina remembers.

Svenska Teatern was running out of time — a children’s production was expected to open that same autumn. Should Astrid bestow the theatre the rights to the book, Annina would only have the summer months to complete the adaption.

Svenska Teatern held a special place in Astrid Lindgren’s heart

On March 3rd 1987, Astrid finally shows signs of relenting:

”Dear Annina Paasonen. The other night, when I was lying awake, I thought to myself: ”When do you honestly think you’ll have the time to adapt Ronia?” I answered my own question: ”Perhaps once I’ve turned 95 – and by then the result will be as one might expect.”

Astrid suggested that she and stage director Erik Pöysti could ”collaborate a little,” since he “knew much more about theatrical solutions”.

The letter continues: ”If you are interested in my suggestion, that wouldn’t meant that I’d be granting the rights to any other theatre by default. But I feel that Svenska Teatern holds such a special place in my heart, so please let me know what you think of this suggestion! With warm regards from your sister nation, Astrid Lindgren”

– Erik and I taped a large white sheet over an entire wall on the Nicken stage (Svenska Teatern’s smaller stage). We sketched the story on it, arranging key scenes from the book that we felt were most relevant.

Astrid was sent a copy of the scenic breakdown and concluded that it was probably for the best if Annina adapted the story. On May 5th, Astrid suggested that the theatre use a recent film adaptation from 1984 as the basis for the production: ”I’ve also come to the conclusion that my eyesight is far too poor to allow me to write any dialogue.”

The letters reveal how Astrid continues to focus on details. She questions whether it’s appropriate for Ronia to sing the Wolf Song (sw: Vargsången) when her foot gets stuck in the Rumphobs’ (sw: Rumpnissar) burrow. “I definitely don’t believe that she would do that; I think she would be far too distressed and scared.”

But one can also sense Astrid’s enthusiasm: “I’m very much looking forward to seeing the play, it looks like it’s going to be absolutely magnificent. Of course, Svenska Teatern has every theatrical resource one can think of at its disposal.“

Tove Jansson and Astrid Lindgren meet on the opening night

In September, Astrid Lindgren approved Annina’s adaptation and described it as ”very good”. She only questioned how the theatre would solve the issue with the Greedy Falls (sw: Glupafallet), demonstrating her characteristic consideration for her readers. “There is one thing I’m a little concerned about: Jutto’s stammering. In a way, it does mock people with disabilities, which audience members with stammers might find hurtful. Jutto could just be a regular fool.”

Ronia, the Robber’s daughter was Astrid Lindgren’s final novel, written when she was 72. Only six years after its first publication, on 4 December 1987, Lindgren attended the world premiere of its stage adaptation at Svenska Teatern. She had requested to sit next to a child during the performance – a wish that was readily granted.

During a phone call in 2023, stage director Erik Pöysti tells us that the child sitting next to Astrid was in fact his son, Oskar Pöysti. On her other side sat Tove Jansson — another world-famous children’s book author and creator of the iconic Moomintroll stories. Oskar was only five years old at the time.

– Oskar was so scared of the Harpies that Astrid had to comfort him. His sister Alma sat nearby with their grandmother, Erik reminisces.

Erik Pöysti is happy to recall all the about twists and turns involved in working on the production.

– The greatest recognition was when Astrid Lindgren went up on stage and embraced Svante Martin (who played Mattis). She turned to face the audience and announced ”I like being on this stage,” Erik Pöysti recalls.

– It didn’t feel too shabby, Enckell replies with a contented smile when asked how it felt to see the two Nordic children’s literature giants in the audience on the opening night of her dramatisation.

Annina Enckell’s dramatisation remained, for a long time, the only stage adaptation of Ronia, Robber’s Daughter to have been personally approved by Astrid Lindgren.

Over 35 years later, on 7 September 2023, that same dramatisation returned to Svenska Teatern – this time under the direction of David Sandqvist. The original script was updated slightly in dialogue with Enckell.

Svenska Teatern’s current head dramaturg Maria Lundström is very pleased to see the play return home to Svenska Teatern.

– When deciding which version to stage, we reviewed many different adaptations of Lindgren’s wonderful story, but in the end, we found that Annina Enckell’s original rendition from 1987 – written during her tenure as dramaturge at Svenska Teatern – had stood the test of time. It remains the best version, Lundström explains.

Ronia was born out of a longing for a different time — a time unlike ours, when nature is being destroyed. I want to be in nature, and if I cannot live it, then at least I can imagine it. Through Ronia, I get to experience nature, as well as all the strange little creatures that have, as far as I believe, evidently existed at some point.

Astrid Lindgren on Ronia, from the Svenska Teatern’s programme from 1987