The Changeling

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For Families with young people ages 8 and up

Selma Lagerlöf is not a household name outside the Scandinavian countries, but in her homeland she is a literary giant. In 1909, she was the first woman and the first Swede to be awarded the Nobel Prize for Literature "in appreciation of the lofty idealism, vivid imagination and spiritual perception that characterize her writings." Her stories for both adults and children are filled with the mythology and characters of old folk tales, Nordic legends and history. She inspired many young writers, among them Swedish novelist, playwright and poet, Göran Tunström, himself winner of numerous prizes for literature, among them the coveted (and posthumous) Selma Lagerlöf prize. His novels have been said to have a kind of Nordic magical realism -- his wonderful dramatization of Lagerlöf’s beloved children’s story, Borbytingen or The Changeling, brings this delightful work to a brand new audience.

The play takes place in a world inhabited by hard working, straightforward farm folk, and mischievous perhaps even malicious trolls. The farm folk have golden hair and pale skin and are all things good; the trolls are ugly and foul and all things evil. But perhaps things aren’t really that black and white? The Changeling is a charming and inventive fairy tale in the tradition of The Brothers’ Grimm – magical and fantastic, with just a hint of horror and a serving of moral reflection.

As a troll mother croons to her baby deep in the woods she hears the approach of humans in a wagon. She hides behind a tree so she can watch the bothersome interlopers in safety, but curiosity gets the better of her, and when she sticks her head out to see the farmer and his wife, she scares the horses who bolt and flee in fright. The farmer’s wife is jolted and drops her angelic infant on the ground. By the time the farmer slows the horses and returns to find the lost baby, it is gone, and in its place is left a troll baby. The farmer’s wife must decide whether to sacrifice everything to raise a baby whom only she can love.

When I read this play I knew I had to direct it. Powerful and heartfelt, it is among the best of European fairytales.
- Peter Hinton

Yeech, it sounds like people. How Revolting!
- Troll Hag in The Changeling