Gustavia

He is enslaved and brought from the West Indies to the Swedish Royal Court in the 1750s as a gift. He is the object of Queen Lovisa Ulrika's social experiment but also of her love. He begins a secret relationship with Princess Sofia Albertina. His rival is Sweden's future king, Gustav III, who is also his beloved brother. Gustavia is the incredible story of Gustav Badin. A fast-paced ballet drama, an unknown part of the history of Sweden, a tale about power, norms and rebellion.

The compelling story, inspired by real people and events, came to life on the stage of the Royal Swedish Opera with a star-studded creative team. Gustavia was written and directed by filmmaker Amir Chamdin (who recently made the TV series Börje – The Journey of a Legend about the life of ice hockey player Börje Salming) with choreography by Pär Isberg, who previously has created ballets such as The Hunchback of Notre Dame, Pippi Longstocking and not least a hit version of The Nutcracker (more than 350 performances at the Royal Swedish Opera). The costumes are created by Selam Fessahaye, multiple award-winning designer whose creations have been worn by, among others, Beyoncé and Crown Princess Victoria. Well-known film set designer Cinzia Lo Fazio and lighting designer Tobias Rylander, who has worked with everything from Beyoncé's world tour to Loreen's Eurovision-winning performance, frame Badin's world in sets, lighting design and visual projections. The team also included the dramaturge David Nzinga.

Right now you can watch Gustavia on SVT Play (Sweden only)!