conversations in ten questions 76: Malin Axelsson

The New Text Festival, organized by GalataPerform, which celebrates its 20th anniversary this year, and which is Turkey's first and only playwriting festival, took place this year for the twelfth time between 24th November and 4th December 2023, focusing on the theme of "Real". At the festival, which creates an area where Turkish writers and directors meet with artists from abroad within the scope of Theater Beyond Borders, we continue from where we left off by publishing our conversations with international playwrights whose plays have been translated into Turkish and staged readings. Our next guest is Malin Axelsson.

Playwright, writer and director Malin Axelsson was born in Stockholm in 1975. The plays of the author, who graduated from the Swedish University Film, Radio, Television and Theater Department in 2002, have been translated into German, French, Italian, Romanian and Norwegian. She has been working as Artistic Director at Riksteatern Youth Theater since 2021. She also worked at Swedish Radio Theater between 2015 and 2019.

What is the essence of good play/playwriting in your opinion? 

To have a story worth to be told. 

Do you believe in the transformative power of art? How?

I believe art can direct our attention and gaze toward certain themes and questions in our lives. Good art can frame the incomprehensible. It can highlight the most hidden parts of existence. Art is a space where the mysteries in our lives can be captured. When art is really strong and well made it makes us see ourselves, as individuals and collective. 

When you are working on a text, what sources inspire you? Do dreams play a role in your works?

I am inspired by life, my colleagues, neighbours, memories, pop songs, poetry, literature, film. I am a fan of surrealism, a genre which does not differentiate between conscious/unconscious. As the surrealists I am interested in not drawing a clear line between reality/dream. 

When do you decide to give a title to a work you are working on if it already does not have one?

Mostly I decide about the title early on in the writing process. 

Are there any writer, artist or person whom you think influenced your art most? And if there is such a figure, who?

My influences and inspirations are many such as Kathy Acker, Emily Dickinson, Simone de Beauvoir, Rachilde, Britney Spears, Roberto Bolaño, The Brontë Sisters, David Lynch, Virginie Despentes, Charlie Kaufman, Ann Radcliffe, Virginia Woolf, Alejandra Pizarnik, Christine and the Queens, Giorgos Lanthimos, fairytales. 

When you consider the current state of the world in every sense, what is the most important and urgent issue for you as an artist?

To let children and youth experience theatre. To inspire and enable young people to be creators. 

What are your main concerns when a play of yours is translated into another language?

A translation is always a work and interpretation in its own right, and I am curious about what questions are raised for the translator in the process. What choices have been made? Many times I will never know, when I do not master the language myself. 

Do you believe your works resonate more with your local culture/community or more universally?

Universally. It has always been satisfying and inspiring when I have had the opportunity to work in other countries. Mostly I have worked in France, but I long to work more internationally. I would love to direct more outside of Sweden, and also collaborate between countries. 

The Swedish National Touring Theatre, the subsidised theatre company where you have been heading the Children and Youth Department since 2021, seems to be an institution that has few examples in the world. Can you give us some information about it?

The Swedish National Touring Theatre is the largest touring company in Sweden, with a focus on areas outside of the major cities. We are able to do this thanks to our approximately 230 local theatre associations spread across the country, run by volunteering theatre-lovers of all ages. The local theatre associations decide which productions they want to stage. Currently we have around 38,000 members throughout the country. The mission is to reach out with dance, circus and theatre to everyone in the country. The fantastic thing about the Swedish National Touring Theatre is that we do not only perform in traditional theatres. In our desire to reach out to everyone, we find stages in the most unconventional places: in community rural centres, in gymnasiums, classrooms, in town halls or activity centres, in rock clubs or other spaces. 

Do you have any expectations from the Turkish directors who will be staging your play’s reading? 

I hope they will get hold of and enjoy the absurd, dark humor of the text.

[The Turkish version of this interview was published in unlimited.]