theater but
Teater Pero is a privately held Stockholm-based mime theater company, founded in 1983, that produces and tours physical-theater productions and educational programs for children, schools, preschools, and adult audiences across Sweden and 26 countries.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded-
- HeadquartersÅrsta, Sweden
- Headcount11–50
- GTM typeB2B and B2C
- OfferingServices
What theater but does
Teater Pero is a privately held Swedish performing arts company founded in 1983 by Peter Engkvist and Roger Westberg (the company name derives from the founders' initials PER + O). Headquartered in Stockholm/Årsta with offices at Palmfeltsvägen 5 in Johanneshov, the company produces mime-based theatrical productions for children aged 2½ and above, combining physical acting, live music, and dialogue. Core repertoire includes adaptations of Swedish children's literature (Pettson/Findus, Ludde), original works such as 'Astons stenar' (performed over 1,000 times across 16 countries), and the annual Julfrossa Christmas production. The company operates across three Stockholm venues (Teaterverket Svea, Telefonfabriken, Ö2scenkonst) and tours extensively in Sweden and internationally.
The business operates a hybrid model combining ticketed individual sales (via the Kulturbiljetter platform), institutional B2B sales to schools and preschools (via direct phone/email booking), educational workshop revenue through the Swedish Skapande skola cultural program, and international touring fees. Pricing is unit-based at modest SEK levels (160–300 SEK per ticket with subsidies), supplemented by public funding from Statens kulturråd, Region Stockholm, and Stockholms stad (including Kulan and Kultur för äldre subsidies). The company reaches approximately 35,000 children and young people across ~400 performances annually. It has no subsidiaries, no external investors, and no parent company, with Peter Engkvist continuing as sole Artistic Director following the 2020 restructuring that ended the Rialto-cinema venue era and shifted the company to a touring-based operating model.
theater but firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- theater but
- Legal name
- Teater Pero
- Website
- https://www.pero.se
- Company type
- Private
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 11–50 employees
- Short description
- Teater Pero is a privately held Stockholm-based mime theater company, founded in 1983, that produces and tours physical-theater productions and educational programs for children, schools, preschools, and adult audiences across Sweden and 26 countries.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
theater but industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Children's Theater
- NAICS
- Other Performing Arts Companies (711190), Independent Artists, Writers, and Performers (71151), Performing Arts Companies (7111)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Fringe & Experimental Performing Arts (MPAGABAI)
- akta.pro secondary industry
- Theatre Services & Design (Scenic/Costume/Props/Stage Management) (MPAGABAO)
Keywords
Where theater but is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Årsta
- HQ country
- Sweden
- HQ region
- Europe
Offices4 records
Markets served
theater but business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B and B2C
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Supply Chain
Revenue model
- Performance tickets: Revenue from ticket sales for performances in Stockholm venues and touring shows. Prices vary by production, day (weekday/weekend), and customer type (child/adult/student).
- School and preschool bookings: Institutional sales to schools and preschools for educational performances. These are typically booked in advance through direct sales and may include Skapande skola workshop components.
- Skapande skola workshops: Educational workshops following performances, provided as part of the Swedish Skapande skola cultural program for schools, administered by Kulturrådet.
- International touring: Revenue from international performances, performed in English or German, sometimes with small orchestras or simultaneous interpretation.
- Pero Älskar Musik concerts: Adult-oriented concert series featuring live music performances at Ö2scenkonst venue, with ticket prices of 200 SEK (150 SEK for students).
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | Weekday school performances |
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | Weekend/holiday performances |
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | Pero Älskar Musik concerts |
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | Subsidized performances (50%) |
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | Julfrossa early bird discount |
Go-to-market motion2 records
Distribution channels4 records
Marketing channels5 records
theater but product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Teater Pero is a Swedish performing arts company that creates and stages mime-based theatrical productions for children and young people, combining physical theater, original and adapted music, and dialogue. The company produces original works alongside adaptations of Scandinavian children's literature (e.g., Findus, Ludde, Tove Jansson), performs approximately 400 shows annually at Stockholm venues and on international tours across 26 countries, and delivers educational and accessibility programs (Skapande skola workshops and Funkisföreställningar relaxed performances).
Product overview
Teater Pero is a mime-based theater company for children and young people, founded in 1983. The company creates theatrical productions where movement, music, and dialogue interplay. Their repertoire includes productions for the youngest (ages 2½+), older children (ages 7-12), teenagers (ages 9+), and adults. Key productions include Astons stenar (award-winning international success), Resväskan, Den osynliga, Hoppsan!, Skogen har öron, Ludde, and the annual Julfrossa Christmas show. They also operate Pero Älskar Musik concert series for adults and the Skapande skola educational program. The company performs approximately 400 shows per year reaching about 35,000 children and young people, with international touring across 26 countries.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Brands
- Pero Älskar Musik: A music club hosting intimate live concerts at Ö2scenkonst in Stockholm featuring various music genres
- Funkisföreställningar
Products and services
- Resväskan (The Suitcase) A theatrical production for children aged 2.5 and up about a strange animal dragging a heavy suitcase, exploring themes of meeting the unknown and human kindness. Performed at Stockholm venues and on tour.
- När Findus var liten och försvann (When Findus was Little and Disappeared) A theatrical production for children aged 3 and up about the old man Pettson receiving the kitten Findus in a box of green peas, and how Findus suddenly disappears one day. Performed at Stockholm venues and on tour.
- Ludde A theatrical production for children aged 2.5 and up based on Ulf Löfgren's beloved children's book character Ludde, an unruly slapstick about the crooked path straight ahead. Performed at Stockholm venues and on tour.
- Vem ser Dim? (Who Sees Dim?) A poetic theatrical production for children aged 2.5 and up about being very small but not least, featuring a character named Dim who lives alone among cones, leaves and berries. Performed on tour.
- Den osynliga (The Invisible One) A theatrical production for children aged 3 and up about Ninni who becomes invisible after growing up with a scary aunt, freely adapted from Tove Jansson's 'The Invisible Child'. Performed on tour with TAKK sign language integration.
- Hemliga Hörn (Secret Corners) A pocket-format theatrical production for children aged 3 and up that can be adapted based on venue and audience, featuring stories from around the world. Performed on tour.
- Astons stenar (Aston's Stones) An award-winning musical and mime theatrical production for children aged 4 and up about a little dog who collects stones. Performed in 54 cities across 16 countries outside Sweden with over 1,000 performances.
- Hoppsan! A musical theatrical production for children aged 4-10 and seniors where the oldest generation shares their life experiences with younger generations. Performed at Stockholm venues, on tour, and as subsidized performances for elderly care facilities.
- Där barn sover (Where Children Sleep) A photographic theatrical production for children aged 9 and up about the lottery of life, inspired by James Mollison's photo book 'Where Children Sleep'. Performed on tour.
- Skoja' bara (Just Kidding) A classroom theatrical production for children aged 9 and up about crossing the line, exploring psychological bullying through two actors sharing their middle school experiences. Performed at Stockholm venues and on tour.
- Skogen har öron (The Forest Has Ears)
Quantifiable outcome
- Reaches approximately 35,000 children and young people annually across 400 performances
- +1 more outcomes
Companies that use theater but
Customer profileNamed customers4 records
Segments5 records
Ideal customer profiles3 records
theater but technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Feature3 records
theater but partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Eight partnerships are on record, tiered minor and core.
- Helsingborgs symfoniorkesterminorChamber ensemble collaboration for 'Astons stenar' performances at BiBu festival in Helsingborg Concert Hall. Conductor Jonas Nydesjö wrote arrangement for 12 musicians.
- DalasinfoniettanminorCollaboration for 'Astons stenar' performances with orchestra ensemble in Falun and Avesta in February 2025.
- Nordiska KammarorkesternminorOrchestra collaboration for 'Astons stenar' performances in Sundsvall, Härnösand, and Sollefteå in February 2026.
- KulturbiljettercoreExternal ticketing platform handling private ticket sales for all Teater Pero performances.
- Moomin CharactersminorLicensed to adapt Tove Jansson's 'Det osynliga barnet' into 'Den osynliga' production.
- Putumayo World MusicminorMusic label that released Landínez's 'Malamente', featured artist at Pero Älskar Musik.
- Prisma Music GroupminorSwedish record label releasing Landínez singles 'Cumbia Polar', 'Silvia', and 'Compadre Pineda'.
- SKAP (Sveriges kompositörer och textförfattare)minorSwedish composers and lyricists association that awarded Frida Andersson a prize in 2024.
Scale indicators5 records
Recent moves8 records
Expansion highlights6 records
theater but competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- Unga Klara: Stockholm-based theater company producing professional performing arts for young audiences. Directly comparable as a Swedish children's theater with similar institutional funding model and educational programming through Skapande skola.
- Mummenschanz: Swiss mime and mask theater troupe producing wordless physical performances for international touring. Most direct international peer given the mime-based physical theater technique and global touring footprint in family/children's segments.
- Slava's Snowshow: International physical theater production by Slava Polunin featuring clown/mime performances for family audiences. Comparable as a globally touring physical-performance company with multi-decade run history and broad family/children appeal.
Broad incumbents
- Kulturhuset Stadsteatern: Stockholm's municipal theater operating multiple stages with children's programming alongside adult productions. Comparable as a Stockholm public-funded theater serving similar institutional and family audiences, but at much larger scale across genres.
- Cirque du Soleil: Global entertainment company producing large-scale physical performance shows. Comparable as a broad incumbent in physical/visual performance entertainment with global touring, but operates at substantially larger scale and across adult/family segments.
Regional players
- Folkteatern Göteborg: Regional theater company in Gothenburg producing performing arts for diverse audiences including children. Comparable as a Swedish regional theater with public funding and touring productions, but serving western Sweden rather than Stockholm.
- Malmö Stadsteater: Municipal theater in Malmö producing family and children's programming with public funding. Comparable Swedish theater with similar institutional funding structure, but serving southern Sweden rather than Stockholm.
Others
- Moomin Characters: Finnish IP holder for Tove Jansson's Moomin universe, actively licensing theatrical adaptations. Comparable as Teater Pero's IP licensing partner for 'Den osynliga', and represents adjacent ecosystem participation in children's IP-to-stage commercial production.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses2 records
Competitive moat5 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
theater but social profiles
Digital presencetheater but financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
theater but leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles5 records
theater but funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
theater but M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about theater but
What does theater but do?
Teater Pero is a Swedish performing arts company that creates and stages mime-based theatrical productions for children and young people, combining physical theater, original and adapted music, and dialogue. The company produces original works alongside adaptations of Scandinavian children's literature (e.g., Findus, Ludde, Tove Jansson), performs approximately 400 shows annually at Stockholm venues and on international tours across 26 countries, and delivers educational and accessibility programs (Skapande skola workshops and Funkisföreställningar relaxed performances).
Is theater but a public or private company?
theater but is a private company. It is classified as founder individual operated bootstrapped and is currently operating.
When was theater but founded?
theater but was founded in -1. It employs 11 to 50 people.
Where is theater but based?
theater but is headquartered in Årsta, Sweden, in the Europe region.
How does theater but make money?
Five revenue lines are on record. Performance tickets are the primary driver. The others are school and preschool bookings, skapande skola workshops, international touring and pero Älskar Musik concerts.
Who are theater but's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are Unga Klara, Mummenschanz and Slava's Snowshow. Broad incumbents are Kulturhuset Stadsteatern and Cirque du Soleil. Regional players are Folkteatern Göteborg and Malmö Stadsteater. Moomin Characters is listed as an others.
Does theater but have an API?
No public API is recorded for theater but.
What industry is theater but in?
theater but's product category is Children's Theater. Its primary akta.pro industry code is MPAGABAI, Fringe & Experimental Performing Arts, with a secondary code of MPAGABAO, Theatre Services & Design (Scenic/Costume/Props/Stage Management). Its NAICS code is 711190.