Director and actor Leif Sundberg is dead

Leif Sundberg passed away on April 9, the family confirms for Svenska Dagbladet.

After starting his career at the Stockholm Student Theater and the Puppet Theater in the early 1960s, he soon became a foreground figure in Sweden’s free theater life. In 1965 he joined and founded the theater group Narrenteatern. Two years later he formed the pocket theater together with Suzanne Osten, Gunnar Edander and Lottie Ejebrant.

Among his significant Roles as an actor are Alois Hitler in Suzanne Osten’s set of « Hitler’s childhood » (1984) and King Claudius in « Hamlet » (1995).

« His acting is incredibly strong, dynamic and distinct, » says actor Ann Petrén, who worked with Leif Sundberg on a number of occasions.

As a director, he worked at the Norrbottensteatern, Dramaten, young Klara and the city theaters in Malmö, Stockholm, Gothenburg and Uppsala. His set of Sara Lidman’s « Horse and Tranan » at the Orion Theater was filmed for SVT in 1995.

In addition, he was Rector of both the Stage School in Malmö and the Dramatic Institute in Stockholm. As an esteemed theater educator, he wrote a number of books, including « Theater language. A theater practice » (2006).

– He affirmed the physical theater that I myself like and have used as a tool, says Ann Petrén.

– He was a role model in many ways. A mentor.

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