Writings, 1942

Tivoli: Five Scenes, or some of them

Play inspired by the works of Hjalmar Bergman.

About the text

In the same vein as his own The Fun Fair (after Hjalmar Bergman’s poem) from a few years prior, Bergman would go on to write this play about a company of players at an amusement park. It’s no masterpiece, but a closer look reveals the foundations of Sawdust and Tinsel:

We stand before the amusement park’s entrance gates, looming large and white. The park has closed for the night; the time is perhaps half past midnight. An autumnal darkness lies over everything. A streetlight illuminates a distinct circle by the entrance. There stands Karlsson, - watchman, Cerberus - in conversation with Folke.

Every so often, the wind blows through large trees hidden in the darkness, and the sounding of a boat’s horn can occasionally be heard, drawn out and mournful.