Tadpole - Hanna Nygren

This play is set to have its premiere in Sweden in 2026 at Dalateatern, but it has yet to be performed. It is a modern fairy tale tragedy about a 12-year-old girl named Ammie, who lives with her distant and depressed father. Ammie and her best friend, Kakan, once made a pact to never become “boring grown-ups.” But now, Kakan has broken the pact, drawn to Karro, an older girl who embodies everything they despise: she looks down on childish behavior, goes to parties, drinks, and obsesses over boys. It seems that Kakan is turning into everything she once vowed not to be. Frustrated and heartbroken, Ammie runs away into the forest.

There, she meets a strange and mystical creature called Älvan, who claims to have the answer to Ammie’s problem. Älvan offers a way for Ammie to stay a child forever, but refuses to explain how it works. What Ammie doesn’t know is that Älvan herself once made the choice to remain an eternal child. She is trapped by a large toad—a creature that has always longed to be a mother and craves a child to smother with care. To be free and grow up, Älvan must find another child to take her place.

Ammie’s father, who normally avoids the forest due to a traumatic experience from his youth, becomes desperate when Ammie disappears. He ventures into the woods to search for her, confronting the memories of a childhood love he lost in that very same forest. That lost love is none other than Älvan. When Ammie’s father returns, the emotional stakes for Älvan rise; her desire to escape her eternal childhood grows stronger.

The father and Älvan are reunited, but since Älvan still appears as a child, she refuses to let him see her. She tells him that she’s not yet free to be with him, but that if he returns during the full moon, she will be. Overjoyed, Ammie’s father shares a vulnerable moment with his daughter in the forest, revealing how losing his first love has made it impossible for him to truly love anyone since, and that is the reason he has been so distant. He vows to be a better father from now on.

Meanwhile, Älvan tries to persuade Ammie to dive into a lake and swallow a tadpole, a step that would make her an eternal child. However, Ammie begins to reconsider. She finally understands her father’s pain, and just as importantly, Kakan reappears in the forest to beg for Ammie’s forgiveness. The two share a kiss, and Kakan invites Ammie to Karro’s party. Suddenly, the idea of growing up just a little doesn’t seem so terrifying after all.

But things take a dark turn. The toad mother, sensing that Älvan may be trying to escape, locks her in a cage deep in her muddy, underground cave. Meanwhile, Ammie’s father, more hopeful than ever, returns to the forest to find Älvan, but she doesn’t show up as promised. At the party, Karro—who has noticed the growing bond between Kakan and Ammie—challenges them to a game of truth or dare. In a cruel twist, Kakan betrays Ammie, mocking her for her feelings toward girls. Humiliated and drunk, Ammie stumbles back into the forest, where she meets her father. He is devastated by the realization that Älvan has failed him once again and in turn fails to comfort his daughter.

Heartbroken and confused, Ammie runs to the lake, dives down, and swallows the tadpole.

The play explores themes of childhood, identity, and the inevitable transition to adulthood. It delves into the fear and loss that often accompany growing up, as well as the desire to hold onto innocence and avoid the complexities of maturity. Through the characters of Ammie and Älvan, the story examines the struggle for self-discovery, the pain of unfulfilled love, and the impact of betrayal and forgiveness. At its heart, it’s a reflection on the tension between staying true to oneself and the need to adapt to the world around us.

Length: 75 min

Number of roles: 6, 1 Male 5 Female (could be played by 4 actors)

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