A Little Night Music - English accents in Sweden?

[MimiJudith]

Posted: 7/27/10 at 8:26am

I know A Little Night Music is supposed to take place in Sweden. However, English accents abound. I don't expect everyone to do a Swedish accent but I read through some threads here where posters wrote how Elaine Stritch does not use an English accent and how the character who sings "The Miller's Son" uses a Devonshire accent or something like that. Are they supposed to be English people in Sweden? LOL, not an emergency question but I was just wondering. Thanks in advance for your responses!

[JMPlayer6]

Posted: 7/27/10 at 8:38am

Let's start a campaign about all the English accents in movies/TV shows set in ancient Rome, too.

[MimiJudith]

Posted: 7/27/10 at 8:46am

I'm only saying this because people were wondering why Elaine Stritch didn't use the English accent. I would think they should either all sound English or all American or all Swedish (although Swedish would not work, I'm sure, LOL). Just funny that they're supposed to be in Sweden and some of them sound American, some sound English, and some (*cough*Elaine Stritch*cough) sound like they're from Brooklyn.

[chewy5000]

Posted: 7/27/10 at 9:01am

It seems that nowadays an English accent is used as a neutral, non-American accent/location, whether or not it actually set in England.

[MimiJudith]

Posted: 7/27/10 at 9:03am

Very true, chewy.

[ljay889]

Posted: 7/27/10 at 9:05am

The original company used English accents because their three leads were British. They kept them for the new leads and Bernadette is using one, but Elaine is not attempting one.

[ClapYo'Hands]

Posted: 7/27/10 at 10:25am

It's also a representation of the European-ness of the show. Something that Stritch doesn't seem to get in her character as a whole, let alone accent.

[RaisedOnMusicals]

Posted: 7/27/10 at 10:48am

Brooklyn????? I assume you're kidding. Elaine is from the midwest, and has no trace of what is commmonly referred to as a "Brooklyn accent." She does sound as if she's from the midwest.

If you are looking for complete authenticity in terms of "accent", the play should be in Swedish, not in English with Swedish accents. Barring that, just enjoy the wonderful performances.

[The Distinctive Baritone]

Posted: 7/27/10 at 8:12pm

I too was perplexed by the accents affected by the American actors in the cast when I saw it with Zeta-Jones and Lansbury. Some were British and some were somewhere in the middle of the Atlantic, while Leigh Ann Larkin's accent changed randomly throughout the show (really, really annoying BTW).

I agree that the attempt of the American supporting players to do something British-ish was probably a directorial choice to both unify the accents in the cast since the three leads were British, and to add a kind of aristocratic, European air to the show. Though mostly I just found it distracting.