Carl Johan Karlson is a director and writer, born in the suburbs of Stockholm. He grew up with his mum and twin sister, and among his mother’s high-heeled shoes, he found a lifelong interest in theatre and make-believe. Carl Johan graduated in directing from Stockholm University of the Arts in 2013 and worked for a couple of years as a resident director at Riksteatern.

His work has varied from the great classics, such as Tennessee William’s Cat on a Hot Tin Roof, to modern comedies like Good People by Pulitzer Prize-winning David Lindsay-Abaire. His productions have, without exception, received excellent reviews.

Carl Johan has also directed several productions for younger audiences. He wrote and directed Vi som känner annorlunda, a play about gay history, for Det Norske Teatret. He has also directed opera: Massenet's Don Quijote at Folkoperan, and the Swedish premiere of the acclaimed Norwegian author Arne Lygre’s poetic play Mig nära. Carl Johan wants to widen his experience and is enthusiastically looking forward to directing for both film and TV.

Carl Johan’s recent projects include Älskad, Saknad at Uppsala Stadsteater and Arv (The Inheritance), which premiered at Dramaten.

Carl Johan is currently working on his first feature film, about the horrific sugar and dental experiments conducted on patients with intellectual disabilities at Vipeholm Hospital in Sweden during the 1940s.

Agent: Elin Sandström Lundh

Selected works

Axel - feature - in development
Vipeholm – Tiden före framtiden - Stadsteatern - 2023
Arv - Dramaten - 2022
Sviten - (as script editor) - Intiman - 2022
Älskad, Saknad - Uppsala stadsteater - 2022
Amadeus - Helsingborgs stadsteater - 2022
The Cake - Malmö stadsteater - 2020
Mig nära - Helsingborgs stadsteater - 2020
Akta dig för Rödluvan - Örebro Länsteater - 2019
Don Quijote - Folkoperan - 2018
Kejsaren av Portugallien - Riksteatern - 2018
Richard Söderberg är Gaytenor - 2018  
Constellations - Riksteatern – 2017
Good People - Riksteatern – 2017
Cat on a Hot Tin Roof - Riksteatern - 2016
Blomma blad en miljard - Ung Scen Öst/Östgötateatern - 2015
Vi som føler annleis - Det Norske Teatret - 2015
Slutstadier - Stockholms stadsteater - 2013
Det normala livet - Örebro Länsteater - 2013
Våra föräldrars sexuella neuroser - Det Norske Teatret - 2012

awards & nominations

Falstaff-Stipendiet - 2023