The Royal Dramatic Theatre (Swedish: Kungliga Dramatiska Teatern, colloquially Dramaten) is Sweden's national stage for "spoken drama", founded in 1788.

The theatre's acting school, the Royal Dramatic Training Academy, produced many actors and directors who would go on to be famous, including Gustaf Molander (who also taught there), Alf Sjöberg, Greta Garbo, Vera Schmiterlöw, Signe Hasso, Ingrid Bergman, Gunnar Björnstrand, Max von Sydow, and Bibi Andersson.

The actors formed a company and asked for the king's protection, which led to the establishment of the national theatre.

Sweden's national stage for dramatic art (spoken drama) was established by King Gustav III in 1788.

In 1798, the theatres and operas of Stockholm were united by a royal monopoly, and the "Two Stages" ruled uncontested over the city for over forty years.

In 1834, the actors, infuriated by a new system that replaced their percent of the theatre income by a set salary, went on strike, knowing they had succeeded with a similar action against an unpopular director in 1828.

But at the beginning of the 20th century, the playhouse was rundown and in desperate need of renovation and a more modern, functional stage.

The new location that was eventually picked out for the new Royal Dramatic Theatre Nybroplan was closer to what was then becoming the heart of Stockholm and was beautifully situated by the waterfront.

Fredrik Lilljekvist was appointed the head architect, and on February 18, 1908, the national stage's new theatre building at Nybroplan opened with Strindberg's new play Mäster Olof.