Facts: Petra Mede
Born in Stockholm in 1970 but grew up in Gothenburg.
Trained as a dancer, but was forced to quit after a back injury at the age of 20.
Made a breakthrough as a stand-up comedian and was named newcomer of the year at the Swedish Standup Gala in 2007. Has been host for Melodifestivalen and the Eurovision Song Contest as well as several major galas.
Has participated as an actor in, among other things, “Bonusfamiljen”.
In 2021, took over as program manager for “Let’s dance” together with David Lindgren. Has written the autobiographical books “Shame and pride in Sävedalen” and “Svindlande sander i Blackeberg”.
Petra Mede’s new show was born out of the idleness that affected artists and comedians as an effect of the pandemic. Just a couple of weeks before the Swedish stages shut down completely, Petra Mede had turned 50.
— I started writing down some thoughts, almost like one-liners, and in the end I had 20-30 pages. Then I thought I wanted to read it to someone and invited people to a small theater where I read everything straight up and down and got an incredible amount of laughter and recognition.
Now, barely a year later, those notes have been turned into a script and processed together with collaborator and director Anna Granath.
Less of the diva
But it is not the first time Petra Mede has put on her own show. In “The involuntary diva”, she dealt with prejudices – and with herself – back in 2016.
Petra Mede debuted as an author in 2020.
— Then it was this elevated, egocentric persona that is me, but still not. Now it is much more private and personal. It becomes a little less of my divine alter ego. Then I find it difficult to start from anyone other than myself, but funnily enough it turned out that my experiences were also the experiences of many others.
In 2020, Petra Mede debuted as a writer, with the childhood story “Shame and pride in Sävedalen”. The sequel “Swindling moments in Blackeberg” was published this spring. After digging into growing up, it was time to move to the present and deal with the shocking realization that she too could age.
— I saw in front of me that I would live forever but never turn 50, which is not an equation that adds up. 50 is an unidentifiable age where you are not really old but not young either. I say in the show that you’re too old to kill yourself, but if you were to die, it wouldn’t be terribly tragic either. I deal with aging as I do with everything in life: with humor.
Mom again
The news that 52-year-old Petra Mede was pregnant became hot news during the spring, especially since no child’s father was in the picture. Mede already has a ten-year-old daughter with her ex-partner, but this time she had a child entirely on her own. However, becoming a mother again has not had any rejuvenating effect, she says.
— It’s magical to have a new little person to take care of, but I don’t feel like 25 for it. I feel very clearly that it is slower to get up from the floor than it did last time. If before I could do it with a baby in my arms, now I have to lean on something. You can’t fake age, it’s there.
One topic that is discussed in the show is cosmetic procedures. Petra Mede believes that it is something that all women in middle age and above relate to. She herself has chosen to refrain, but describes herself as “obsessed” with Googling the changed faces of celebrities.
— The algorithms in social media make me confront my own Googling. On Facebook I get “What has so-and-so public figure done?”. So I understand that it’s a kind of obsession, while at the same time I’m too afraid to do something myself. Jennifer Aniston’s full time job is to look like she did in 1996 and then I hope I use my time for something more fun.
Doomed to lose
Petra Mede thinks about the contemporary beauty fixation in “50/50” and notes that the competition to look as young as possible is a race most people are doomed to lose.
– Often it just leads to you looking extremely strange. I think it is important that my children should be able to read my facial expressions, that I can smile and frown. I want aging to be approached with equanimity.
TT: Is there a hidden message in the performance?
— No, no, I have no message. It’s straight up observations and humor. The show won’t make you wiser, but hopefully you’ll be happier!