The Sleep Hunters

It usually takes Ellen a very long time to fall asleep. But tonight will be different, Dad says. He’s thought of everything. The bedroom has been aired out and the temperature is just right. The pillows are fluffed up, and she’s wearing her favorite pajamas. Dad has even arranged for a live band to play just the right kind of music to make her feel that nice, sleepy tired. Unbelievable! But still, it’s not working. Because Ellen can’t stop thinking about all the things she’d rather do than sleep. She wants to dance, rearrange the furniture in her room, or maybe best of all: eat popcorn and watch a movie—which, apparently, Dad is going to do as soon as she falls asleep. Ellen thinks that’s unfair. Plus, there’s one more thing that’s bothering her. Something Ellen should tell her dad but finds hard to talk about: that thing her best friend Wilma wrote, but that no one’s allowed to read.

“The Sleep Hunters” is a newly written family show by Profilteatern in collaboration with Norrlandsoperan. The show is about the things in life that can make it hard to sleep—both the more obvious ones and those hidden beneath the surface. The Sleep Hunters features specially composed music performed by three musicians from the Norrlandsoperan Symphony Orchestra, and the setting is a child’s bedroom, which—with the help of clever lighting effects and a stuffed animal that suddenly comes to life— is transformed into a magical place during one night on Earth.

Cast/Credits

Written and directed by Tobias Morin
Music and Sound Design: Safoura Safavi
Choreography: Willeke Martens
Lighting Design: Daniel Rudstedt
Set Design and Props: Jacob Petersson
Design and Construction: Jacob Petersson and Niklas Rudolfsson
Costume and Mask Design: Jessica Hedin
Production: Rebecka Jern, Lina Hognert, and Andreas Nilsson
Cast: Daniel Rudstedt, Vanja Kittelmann Flensner
Musicians: Maria Kindell (bassoon), Mathias Petersson (bass trombone), and Yui Ito (oboe)