The 2018 award ceremony took place April 21st at Varberg Theatre and turned out to be an extremely well-attended tribute to Sven Wollter and Henrik Bromander.
Sven Wollter and Jonsereds Proggorkester. Photo: Proletären
There is no mistaking the popularity of one of our most beloved actors when he signed his newly released novel Britas resa in the theatre foyer before the award ceremony. The queues were long, and 100 copies of the book were sold and signed.
Inside the more than full theatre, Lasse Diding was master of ceremonies as usual and with him on stage, besides Lenin, he also had the Lenin Award’s eminent house band Jonsereds Proggorkester, led by Bosse Stenholm. This year’s music entertainment also consisted of Matilda Magnusson, who interpreted her big idol Björn Afzelius, backed by the house band. Afzelius constant companion, as well as the 2015 Lenin Award winner, Mikael Wiehe, was in the enthusiastic crowd in the company of two more former award-winners in the shape of Mikael Nyberg and Stefan Jarl.
2017 Lenin Award winner Stefan Jarl gave a warm and humorous tribute speech to Sven Wollter, in which he made the claim that Sven has always existed. Cecilia Cervin, vice chairman of the Jan Myrdal Society, celebrated Robespierre Prize winner Henrik Bromander in her speech. A noticeably touched Sven Wollter thanked for the Lenin Award, but admitted that he had waited a long time and that a certain amount of fear for the prize money to run out before it became his turn had occurred. A devotional silence prevailed in the audience at Varberg Theatre when Sven Wollter, backed by Jonsereds Proggorkester, then recited “In Praise of Communism” by Bertolt Brecht and “Lenin Speaks to the Workers” by Lars Forsell. As an ending, the audience at Varberg Theatre sang The Internationale, something that is becoming a tradition at the award ceremonies.
The evening’s dinner and party were held at Hotell Gästis as usual, but new for the year was that the place was newly opened Gästis Kafé & Matsalar. The larger premises mean room for even more party participants and the opportunity to take the evening’s music entertainment to a new level. The latter, legendary Gothenburg band Nynningen was not late to take advantage of when they played with full force and turned Gästis Kafé & Matsalar into a rock club, where the audience to set number two cleared the tables and began to dance.
Sven Wollter signs his new novel in the theatre foyer prior to the award ceremony. Photo: Olle Asp
