Daily life at Volvo becomes a new play

Published: 15th of March, 2008

A documentary play set at the Volvo Trucks plant, will be the result of a collaboration between Teater Spira playwright Jonas Froberg, a production leader and a fitter at Volvo Trucks.

– The basis for the play is the texts written by employees of Volvo Trucks and by me, says Jonas Froberg. I was surprised by the very personal tone of the texts, that didn’t so much mirror the work place as much as the need to talk about one’s own private life.

At a seminar held by Goteborg university, Skadebanan West Gothia and Teater Spira, personal experiences of power and disempowerment at the factory were discussed, as well as the possibilities for an employee to affect his or her situation; and what happens when an artist mirrors working life.

At the moment Jonas Froberg is travelling around, doing readings of the texts together with their authors, discussing their experiences. This second process will eventually result in a play, he says. There are already plans for a nationwide tour.

– It’s a new and challenging way to work. Involving Volvo employees is a guarantee for a genuineness and we will also have test performances with different reference groups.

Margareta Artsman

kultur@svd.se