Kuningatar KQueen C
"When I was born, ten cannon shots were fired. This means: a son is born."
Queen Christina, who ruled the Swedish-Finnish empire in the seventeenth century, was a fascinating figure. This educated and cultured ruler, who was raised like a man, was a patron of the arts and studied philosophy. But then she converted to Catholicism, abdicated her crown and lived the rest of her life in Rome, where she died in 1689.
The play is not, however, a realistic portrayal of the historical Christina. Rather, it is built on many layers, through the use of powerful metaphors, depicting a person who aspires to be independent, to choose her own gender, religious beliefs, country and entire identity. Queen C is a poetic, magical and quirky story, whose main character is as captivating for us today as she was for her contemporaries.
The play has been translated into English, French, German, Dutch, Swedish, Czech, Hungarian, Estonian and Spanish (unauthorized draft version). It has been performed at the Dramaten in Stockholm, the Divadlo Cara in the Czech Republic and the Belvoir St Theatre in Sydney.
