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Knäppupp (Swedish: "unbutton") was the collective name of a popularrevue series produced by Swedish musician and entertainerPovel Ramel. It was associated withKnäppupp AB, the production company that was set up specifically for the purpose of managing and financing the theatrical performances. The company was active from 1952 to 1968. Ramel was the driving force behind the revues and wrote and performed most of the material himself. Among the more prolific co-actors wereMartin Ljung andBrita Borg.
| Date | Name | Translation | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1952 | Knäppupp 1: Akta Huvet | Watch Out Your Head / Mind Your Head | The name was because Povel came in a cable way over the crowd in Circus in Gothenburg, and he screamed: "Watch Out! Here comes Grandfather!" |
| 1953 | Djuprevyn: 2 Neter | The Deep-Vaudeville, 2 Metre | |
| 1954 | Knäppupp 2: Denna Sida Upp | This Side Up | |
| 1956 | Knäppupp 3: Tillstymmelser | Suggestions | |
| 1958 | Funny Boy | ||
| 1961 | Alla 4 | All 4 | The summer-version was called Semestersångarna (The Vacation Singers) |
| 1962 | Dax Igen | It's Time Again | |
| 1964 | Ryck Mej I Snöret | Pull Me in the String | |
| 1965 | Ta Av Dej Skorna | Take Off Your Shoes | |
| 1966 | På Avigan | The Wrong Way Around | |
| 1968 | De Sista Entusiasterna | The Last Enthusiasts |
| Date | Name | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| 1954 | I Rök Och Dans | |
| 1956 | Ratataa/The Staffan Stolle Story | |
| 1957 | Far Till Sol Och Vår | |
| 1958 | Den Store Amatören | |
| 1959 | Sköna Susanna Och Gubbarna | This film was not successful, playing at 1 cinema for a week. |
Source:[1]
Povel Ramel andPer-Martin Hamberg had worked inRadiotjänst's entertainment department, where Ramel made innovative radio programs such asThe Hunt for Johan Blöth,The Association for the Promotion of Flying,Four Around a Grand Piano andMr. Hålm's Fates and Adventures, in which Brita Borg and Martin Ljung participated. When the swaying artist and entertainment producerFelix Alvo came up with a proposal for a collaboration, the result was the productionAkta huvet at Cirkus in Gothenburg in 1952, where the ensemble was expanded to includeMaj-Britt Thörn,Gunwer Bergqvist andOscar Rundqvist, among others. "Anything except revue," said Ramel, giving the phenomenon the name Knäppupp. In 1953, Alvo and Ramel took over theOdeon Theatre atBrunkebergstorg inStockholm, which was renamed Idéonteatern. This was followed by annual productions, which were usually performed from the autumn at Idéon and incircus tents[2] Sweden around the following summer, until 1968, when the theatre was demolished to buildthe Culture House. Ramel was then ready for activities in another form, PoW Show withWenche Myhre and performances withSven Olson's trio.
Typical for Knäppupp were unconventional approaches inspired by American crazy humor, elastic game openings, where sleepwalkers, chimney sweeps, polar explorers and doctors joked with the audience already at the entrance, crazy whims such as Ramel's entrance via a tense wire from the other side of the circus room and an artificial rain in the finale "Follow me out in the rain". Particular inspiration came from the stage version (original) of the filmHellzapoppin[3]' which Ramel had previously experienced at the London Palladium[4] After the first few years, the humour and sketches became more conventional, but many are the song and sketch classics that originate from Ramel and Knäppupp: "The Old Restaurant Trio", "Nature Children", "Ester", "Siskorna i björken", "Fat Mammy Brown", "Fingal Olsson" and so onAll 4 (1960) appointed Povel, Gunwer, Martin, Brita as a kind of core troupe, whileDax again (1962) was a large and ambitious anniversary pop with new wild crazy grips. The four reunited inKaramellodier på Berns (1972) and inKnäpp igen (1992), which was an anniversary production with modern artists and Wenche plus Brita, Gunwer and Martin as alternating guest artists.
For a few years, Knäppupp was probably the definition of Swedish humor and good musical entertainment. The company was a giant in Swedish entertainment that produced theatre as well as films and gramophone records with all kinds of artists, not just Knäppupps. Ideon also featuredKarl Gerhard revues, operettas withNils Poppe, guest performances by Denmark's revue kingStig Lommer and American musicals. Ramel wrote most of it himself, but also got help from Martin Ljung,Yngve Gamlin,Hasse Ekman,Hasseåtage, Beppe Wolgers and many more to keep the tent and the theater well filled. Later entertainment producers such as Svenska Ord avoided tying themselves as tightly to one and the same theatre and institutionalised forms of touring.
The Knäppupptent, at least parts of it, lived on when it was rented out to the socialist theatre tourTältprojekt, which travelled around Sweden in a similar way but with different intentions in the summer of 1977.
