THE SCENT OF HOME

When I was little, I would always crawl up next to him whenever he had collapsed into bed. Or on the sofa. Or on the floor. Or wherever he simply couldn’t go on anymore. And I would lie there, listening to his breathing. It was always heavy. Peaceful, in a way. But I never dared fall asleep. I was convinced that if I did, he would stop breathing.

Natasja dreams of baking rolls with her father. Tossing flour, laughing together as the smell of fresh bread fills the kitchen. But the scent in her many childhood homes is more often that of alcohol. Her father, Casper, does his best — but when Natasja turns 13, he lets go and places her in foster care. Gunnar and Henriette are kind and caring, but they’re not the ones she’s longing for.

PLACED is a story about voluntarily giving up your child — and about being taken from an unstable yet loving anchor point. In a mix of caseworkers, love, and heartbreak, we meet Natasja and her father, both fighting with bleeding hearts for a glimmer of hope. It’s a story about what happens when society steps in, but also a story about saying “fuck it” — and running.

The production was developed in collaboration with Save the Children Denmark (Børns Vilkår).

CAST
Maja Juhlin, Christoffer Hartmann, Allan Helge, Kirstine Hedrup, Anna Bob Fredslund

WRITTEN BY
Thomas Markmann

DIRECTED BY
Sullivan Lloyd Nordrum

SET DESIGN
Katrine Krohn

LIGHTING DESIGN
Henrik Sloth

SOUND DESIGN
Kim Engelbredt and Mattias Johansson

STAGE PRODUCTION
Folkes Garage

PROP MASTER
Helene Jensen

ASSISTANT DIRECTOR
Ester Lykke

PHOTOGRAPHY
Creative Zoo, Montgomery

PRODUCED BY
Teatret Svalegangen in collaboration with Save the Children Denmark (Børns Vilkår)