Background
Pierre Deland was born the child of Jean Pierre Deland, violinist of the royal chapel. His grandfather, Louis Antoine Deland, was from Luxembourg and was originally hairdresser of the queen.
Pierre Deland was born the child of Jean Pierre Deland, violinist of the royal chapel. His grandfather, Louis Antoine Deland, was from Luxembourg and was originally hairdresser of the queen.
As director of the Deland travelling theatre, he was one of the most famous artists in both Sweden and Finland during the mid 19th century. His troupe inaugurated several of the first theatres founded in the Swedish and Finnish towns during this period. They toured between the theatres of the countryside.
Such theatres did not have a standing ensemble and therefore regarded these troupes as their regular staff
His troupe inaugurated the theatre in Uppsala in 1840, the Åmål theatre in 1848, and others They regularly performed at the Åbo Svenska Teater after its foundation in 1839.
They inaugurated the Swedish Theatre in Helsinki in the 1860–1861 season, and it was from his troupe that the first regular troupe of this Finnish national stage was hired. As an actor he was considered well educated and versatile.
He taught his students a more natural way of speaking, upheld a high artistic standard, and often played French comedies.
However, as a person he was not very well liked by his colleagues, as he was a very strict director He was described as cold and arrogant towards his actors, and he demanded "virtue and order" not only in their work but also in their private lives. In 1835 he bought Djurgårdsteatern jointly with Ulrik Torsslow and Sara Torsslow.
The theatre and its licence belonged to his wife"s family.
The companionship was dissolved in 1837, but in 1849, he was again made director, and the troupe then performed there in the summers and in Finland during the winters. In the 1850s, his finances deteriorated, as he chose to play to solemny plays for the taste of the audience, and in 1861, he accepted an offer to join the Royal Dramatic Theatre.
