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Guardians of the GodsA play about adults, for children
A collaboration of Prachyanat(Bangladesh) & Unga Klara(Sweden)
Director: Gustav Deinoff
Write: Erik Uddenberg
Bengali Interpretation: Prajna Tasnuva Rubayyat
Date: 13 December
Venue: Studio Theater Hall, Bangladesh Shilpokola Academy
Show time: 6 pm and 7.30 pm
Online Ticket Link: https://tinyurl.com/53dp83pe
Ticket Booking Number: 01313774400
This play was performed in 11 countries across five continents in 2025. Universal premiere on May 30th in Diyarbakir, Turkey, followed by the Bangladeshi premiere in September 2025.
The play is part of The Childhood Project – a major international collaboration between all participating theatres, from Bangladesh to Finland. The project aims to enhance culture for children and young people worldwide.
Adults are like gods sometimes. With powers.
They protect you. They’re the kindest in the world.
They hold the key to your future.
Sometimes they’re dangerous. You know that.
But what they don’t know is your power.
That you can see right through them.
Director's Note
Guardians of the Gods is a play about what unites children across the globe: living in a world ruled by adults. Written by Erik Uddenberg and directed by Gustav Deinoff, the play has been developed based on interviews with children and adults from 11 different countries across five continents. During 2025, the play will be performed in all 11 countries in their respective languages.
This wonderful play speaks up for children all around the world and will be both acknowledging and empowering for all who get to see it. It’s a wonderful once-in-a-lifetime project.
- Gustav Deinoff (Director)
Playwright's Note:
It is very rewarding to unite people from all over the world on this universal experience: being a child adjusting to adults. - Erik Uddenberg (Playwright)
Azad Abul Kalam’s Note
It was a cozy evening in December 2023 when I had the first informal virtual meeting with the Director, Gustav Deinoff, and the Project Manager, Alejandro Vivanco, regarding the initial concept of this play. I realized, this could be a great opportunity for International Collaboration with our "Prachyanat for Children" activity. Since then, we went through a national unstable period, but finally, this project started to see the light from September 2024. The first phase of rehearsal started in Sweden, then in Turkey, and finally, the "Guardians of the Gods" is ready for the Global Premier in Bangladesh. 11 Countries, including Bangladesh, are ready with their passionate pool of actors for this performance. The purpose of this play is to awaken the potential that lies within the children beyond the decisions imposed by adults. I hope this performance will expand the world of children's imagination and will spread across the globe.
- Azad Abul Kalam (Advisor, Prachyanat)
Toufikul Emon’s Note
The Guardians of the Gods is not just a theatre production—it is a rare journey where I, as both an actor and advisor from Bangladesh, became part of a truly global collaboration. Directed by Gustav Deinoff of Sweden’s Unga Klara Theatre Company and written by Erik Uddenbery, with Bangla translation by Prajna Tasnuva Rubayyat, the production is funded by the Swedish government and organized by Unga Klara
The play offers something extraordinary: adults portraying the experiences and inner worlds of children. At its heart are two shapeshifting characters, A and B, who possess supernatural powers. Their magical transformations allow us to explore children’s complex relationships with adults, and the many ways young people navigate, resist, and communicate in a world often dominated by grown-ups.
Being selected from Bangladesh alongside Nahida Akhi (actor) and Diana Meriline (choreographer) was an immense honor. As both a performer and an advisor, I was able to bring in local perspectives while learning from the creativity of others. Working with 22 actors from 11 different countries meant every rehearsal became a cultural exchange, with each artist adding their unique performance style and life experience to the ensemble.
The creative team itself was just as international—director, designer, composer, choreographer—each shaping the production with their own artistic vision. The process was not only about making theatre, but about building bridges across cultures, finding common ground through storytelling.
One of the most powerful aspects of this project is its future life. After our shared creation in Diyarbakır, Turkey, we will each return to our home countries to stage The Guardians of the Gods in our own languages. The script remains the same, but the language and context shift, allowing children everywhere to see themselves reflected in the story. This multilingual approach makes the production universal yet deeply local at the same time.
For me, it has been a profound experience to work alongside artists from the USA, Canada, Argentina, Poland, Mexico, Turkey, Sweden, Norway, Finland, South Africa—and to proudly represent Bangladesh on such a stage. Beyond the performance itself, the project has been about trust, exchange, and the belief that children’s perspectives deserve to be heard everywhere in the world.
Toufikul Islam Emon (Theatre activist, 23.8.25)
On Stage
Toufikul Islam Emon
Nahida Akhter Akhi / Diana Meriline
Artistic Team
Director: Gustav Deinoff
Playwright: Erik Uddenberg
Scenographer and costume designer: Deniz Göl
Composer and Sound Design: Tayza Naing
Choreographer: Diana Meriline
Bengali Interpretation: Prajna Tasnuva Rubayyat
Digital archive: Monjurul Alam
Participating Theatres:
Alley Theatre, Houston - USA
Mordem Arts Centre, Diyarbakır - Turkey
Theatre Direct, Toronto, Canada
La Covacha Teatro, México City - Mexico
Theater Festival/Assitej, Warsaw - Poland
Unge Viken Teater, Lillestrøm - Norway
Svenska Teatern, Helsinki - Finland
Drama for Life, Johannesburg - South Africa
Prachyanat Theatre, Dhaka - Bangladesh
Complejo Teatral de Buenos Aires - Argentina
Unga Klara, Stockholm - Sweden
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Event Venue & Nearby Stays
278/3 (3rd Floor), Katabon Dhal, New Elephant Road, 1205. Dhaka, Bangladesh, Al-Arafah Islami Bank-New Elephant, New Elephant Road, ঢাকা, বাংলাদেশ, Dhaka, Bangladesh
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