The chance to experience an authentic local revue is one that Åsa’s course participants and staff are keen not to miss. Once again, they recently flocked in when Katrineholmsrevyn invited them to the dress rehearsal of its latest production, Free Fall.

On the evening before the premiere on 23 January, Katrineholmsrevyn ran through the final rehearsal of its 39th local revue. The title Fritt fall (Free Fall) is truly an antithesis to Straight Track, the name of the very first revue back in 1987.

Like many of us in 2026, the revue company is asking whether the world, Sweden and Katrineholm are in fact in free fall? Will things ever return to how they once were, or has everything been turned upside down?

Rollercoaster
With that premise, the dress rehearsal launched into a fast-paced rollercoaster of sharp song-and-dance numbers, twisted sketches and monologues, entertaining a packed Safiren for almost two hours.

For the fourth year running, the revue had invited staff and course participants from Åsa to this unique preview that a dress rehearsal represents.

From the revue’s perspective, this is both about inclusion and about attracting new audiences. Sparking interest among young adults and new Swedes – groups rarely seen in the revue’s audience – is one way of showing that entertainment is, and should be, for everyone.

– We get a wonderful dress-rehearsal audience, while the school’s course participants enjoy an amazing experience where song, dance, sketches, laughter, seriousness and social commentary are all mixed together.

So says Marcus Enqvist, actor in the revue ensemble and, in his day job, a teacher at Åsa.

For the school’s course participants, the dress rehearsal is a chance to discover the revue as an art form. For many, it is a first encounter, while others by now have seen several rehearsals and become something of seasoned revue-goers.

”It might pick up”
Vincent Eriksson from the general course Saga has seen the past four revues. His favourite is last year’s Countryholm. He felt that this year’s performance started a little hesitantly, but also expressed understanding of how difficult it is to maintain a consistently high level throughout.

– So it might pick up, he said during the interval.

Cora Söderlund, from the same course, has also taken the opportunity to attend previous dress rehearsals.

– I remember last year the musicians from Åsa were absolutely ecstatic.

This year too, loud cheers, applause and playful whistles rang out from the row of seats where the music course participants were gathered – especially when the evening’s stand-in for the revue orchestra, Johannes Annfält, delivered several top-class guitar solos. In everyday life, he is one of the music course teachers.

Yet another success
Judging by all the appreciative shouts and applause, Free Fall looks set to become yet another success for the revue company.

– They’re incredibly talented! exclaimed Åsa’s deputy head, Kerstin Dreger Eriksson, who experienced Katrineholmsrevyn for the first time.

Here you can see a selection of photos from different parts of the performance. In the pictures you can spot – here and there – Linda Råsberg, Simon Engvall, Cia Ronach, Lena Sirrewius, Johanna Dahlberg, Arvid Ström, Niklas Linder, Linnea Forsberg, Gustav Karlsson, Cissie Brunosson, Alma Enroth, Emma Blomberg, Pontus Kinnander and Marcus Enqvist.

Free Fall runs until 14 February. Information about the show and tickets can be found on Katrineholmsrevyn’s website.

Text and photos: Henrik Wising