Tuesday 24 March 2009

Day 4 - (16/03/09) - Gothenburg



My lovely, generous, and welcoming hosts, Hasse Carlsson of Folkteatern, and Anna Berg, of Regionteater Vast, pick me up from my hotel just before lunch.  It's just as well, as I'm still shaky and am now losing my voice.  They're very understanding.  

We get the tram out to Angered, to visit a theatre built in the relatively new suburb as an ideological act.  The idea is to bring theatre to the people, rather than expecting them to travel to the city centre to enjoy it.  The theatre is now hugely successful, and also houses a drama college,  which is oversubscribed every year.  It's friendly and welcoming - everything you'd want from a local arts space.

We watch 'Apberget', translated as 'Monkey Mountain' in English.  This is a lovely Swedish phrase used to describe the place where disaffected teenagers congregate when skiving from school.  Behind the bikesheds if you like, with perhaps less overtly sexual connotations.  The play's been really successful - this is its second run, and the the house is packed.  Anna kindly offers a brief summary of each scene in English, but the themes of adolescent vulnerability, social awkwardness, and the search for your own identity, smash the language barrier.  It's funny and moving - I  thoroughly enjoy it.

Afterwards we meet Ulrich Hillebrandt, the artistic director at Angered.  He talks about his desire for the theatre to go further than just reflecting its diverse and multicultural surroundings - he wants to move towards a truly international outlook.

Afterwards, Anna takes me to Salluhallen for lunch - a typical Swedish food market, with loads of well priced and tasty food stalls.  Despite my still delicate constitution, I'm able to eat some soup, before returning to my hotel and collapsing.