Thieves' Carnival
Bergman was criticised for cutting Jean Anouilh's ending, but the performance as a whole was much appreciated.
'A most amiable and becoming performance, as if on butterfly wings, aswept in blue, romantic veils.'Olof Lagercrantz, Svenska Dagbladet
About the production
In the late 1940s Jean Anouilh was one of the most staged and popular dramatists in Scandinavia, which most certainly was one of the reasons why Bergman's altering of the ending received such tough criticism. Ebbe Linde wrote in BLM, 'The only true objection to this piece is the mutilating of the ending. It is impossible to improve Anouilh's work with such arbitrariness, even if your name is Ingmar Bergman.'
The following year Bergman staged yet another Anouilh play, The Restless Heart, with Gertrud Fridh in the leading role.
Sources
- The Ingmar Bergman Archives.
- Birgitta Steene, Ingmar Bergman: A Reference Guide, (Amsterdam University Press, 2005).
Bergman gained much praise for the performance, in spite of the irritation he caused among the critics by cutting Anouilh's ending. In Dagens Nyheter the reviewer wrote, 'As usual Bergman's direction was perfect'.
Both Gertrud Fridh and Hjördis Petterson were specially mentioned for their moving mimic in the scene where the younger sister's and the thief's love is revealed.
The audience response was enthusiastic and the critics were especially fond of the comic charm and poetic dimensions of the performance. Also the choreography of Ellen Bergman gained much praise.
Collaborators
- Harry Ahlin, Peterbono
- Arne Nyberg, Gustave
- Tore Lindwall, Hector
- Yngve Nordwall, Lord Edgar
- Hjördis Petterson, Lady Hurf
- Nine-Christine Jönsson, Juliette
- Gertrud Fridh, Eve
- Semmy Friedmann, Dupont-Dufort the elder
- Folke Sundquist, Dupont-Dufort the younger
- Gordon Löwenadler
- Aja Gneiser, Wet nurse
- Ove Tjernberg, Policeman
- Jan von Zweibergk, Policeman
- Lars Barringer, Policeman
- Gunilla Tamm, The girl
- Lorang Landberg, The musician
- Jean Anouilh, Author
- Ellen Bergman, Choreography
- Ingmar Bergman, Director
- Carl-Johan Ström, Designer