“Lazarus” was David Bowie’s dream and own initiative that he worked on at the same time as “Blackstar”, which became his last album.
The musical premiered at the end of 2015 at the New York Theater Workshop. Just over a month later, David Bowie died of cancer.
Now the musical is staged at Göta Lejon in Stockholm, directed by Stefan Larsson. The cast includes Simon J Berger, Tove Styrke and Björn Bengtsson, who are all debutants on the musical scene.
– I think it feels like a thing that we all come from different directions. It contributes to a very lovely atmosphere with very high ceilings. There is a nerve, it is very exciting, says Tove Styrke to Kulturnyheterna.
Lazarus Inspired by cult film
The musical is a portrayal of the main character Thomas Newton, played by Linus Wahlgren – an alien stranded on Earth. He is an alcoholic, suffers from heartbreak and is determined to neither age nor die.
The plot is inspired by the cult film “The Man Without a Face” from 1976, in which David Bowie himself plays the main role.
– Our experience is very much on the theme that you keep coming back to when it comes to David Bowie, that he never stays in his comfort zone but always explores new areas. You can really say that we have the opportunity to do that too, says Simon J Berger.
Hear more about how it feels for the ensemble to carry on David Bowie’s dream in the clip above.
