Play, teach and play in Gothenburg

My very first time! Recently I made my way, for the first time ever, to Sweden. 

After sharing the room with 3 Swedes during the Würzburg festival, I basically felt Swedish after that too. My hair color, height and love for hütekäse surely fit the picture.

And so, these awesome improvisers from gbgimpro invited me to come to play, teach and play some more. My time in the hipster city of Sweden, Gothenburg, started with play…

On Friday I got to witness a very cool improv show format: Afterwork Impro. It is a hangout, meets open stage, meets workshop, meets improv show. The audience was just chilling with coffee and chocolate. They were invited to keep their phones on and Instagram about it, sometimes getting up to join big group games together, sometimes being invited to join scenes and now and then get some more coffee while the scene was taking place. Just really relaxed and cool. (Like the Swedes are)

I joined some fun scenes on stage, including one where I spoke Dutch and handed out Kingsday crowns, after which my scene partners sat on it and drank from it. (Ouch and ouch!)

Then in the third half I joined Victoria and Anneli on the stage for a 3-person longform in a format that we had just come up with. We called it ‘The Other Room’ and it was so goddamn awesome to explore the format and the characters with these talented ladies. If you let me I will retell the entire show for you. (But I won’t.)

After play came teaching. In the Saturday workshop I had a whole bunch of gbgimpro students join me for Dancing for Dummies. The four hours really flew by, they did so well. Hungry participants, great!

And then after teaching came some more play. That night in the billiards café I did something for the first time ever: play billiard. I have a great shot from above, as you can see in the picture. It may not qualify me for the championships, but it is safer for everyone’s eyes and beer glasses.

After play even more play. The next day I taught a workshop on Playfulness, which is all about teaching how to play again. And that of course means: lots of playing. We also played my new favorite game: Sardines. Where we all try to find 1 person and join them, until the last person has found the bunch. Guess who was last…

Sardines: Perspective 1

Sardines: Perspective 2

My short time in Gothenburg ended with a lovely ‘fika’ (coffee and snacks) in the sun in the park. Though I would have loved to see something of Gothenburg, there in that park I realized I had everything I needed. The sun on my face, the good people around me and being safe, healthy and happy.

What else in Sweden do I have to see?!

Tack gbgimpro, especially Anneli, Anton, Daniel, Anders and Carl. Thanks also to the lovely workshop participants, and to Waldemar. Last but not least: Victoria. You are a force to be reckoned with and I am very grateful for all that you did.