London, 21st of July 2026

👋 Greetings, dear readers.

I hope you had a pleasant week. I kind of did. Despite not hearing back about an audition I really enjoyed the previous week, I received an invitation for a project overseas next spring that I’m really excited about. I’ll share more details in due time.

On Sunday, we had the honour of hosting a group of 20 teenagers from Hong Kong’s Lui Ming Choi Secondary School Drama Club at our True Heart Theatre open rehearsal. They are currently in London on a tour exploring how theatre (and applied theatre) works from the inside out. I was in awe of the commitment and sensitivity of these young people, who didn’t hesitate to dive right into Playback, whether in the performer’s role or the teller’s seat, sharing with deep vulnerability and even tears. This might sound like an old man yelling at clouds, but in a world where so many young people are seduced by toxic online rhetoric, it’s deeply refreshing and hopeful to see youth like this, drawn into theatre. It’s a powerful reminder of how vital art is in raising the next generations with empathy and critical thinking.

Also on Sunday, Spain won its second World Cup. I’m not really a football fan, I’m your typical nerd and theatre kid, pretty far removed from sports. On top of that, I’ve never felt “the colours” of the country due my Catalan blood. However, it was touching to see so much of the world united to cheer on Spain, largely because of its firm stance against Trump’s authoritarianism and its advocacy for a free Palestine. I do feel for my Argentinian friends and colleagues, though, who have had to watch their country’s name being hijacked by a mad little man with a chainsaw, crumbling it to pieces only to sell it off to Zionism.

On that note… finally! Part of the improv community is organizing to speak out against genocide. Global Resistance of Improvisers for Palestine (GRIP) is a collective of improvisers making their stance unequivocally clear against Zionism and its ongoing actions of genocide, ethnic cleansing, and settler-colonialism.

This opens a hopeful era for those who want to engage in a safe improv environment truly prioritizing social justice. You can adhere yourself and your theatre/festival to this movement through the website to let the world know that you indeed provide that safe space. I definitely will check the website, improvisersforpalestine.org, before working with a theatre that I don’t know.

Stay hydrated, love to you all. 🫶

🎭 The Theatre shout out

My friend, fellow applied theatre practitioner, and colleague at True Heart Theatre Ritz Lui leads an artistic project with East Asian performers. The other day, I attended a very insightful scratch night featuring a variety of amazing artists.

Held at Centre 151 in East London, I found myself on an itinerant circuit, with each station showcasing performative art, dance, theatre, and music. Bevis Wu, Celia Cheung, Reina Yoda, Tai-Hsing Chang, Olivia Cheng and Man Yun Ku were the performers that scratched my brain with their art, filling me with inspiration and, of course, admiration.

If you are an East Asian performer, based in London, looking for an outlet to work and show your material, I suggest you to contact Ritz. 🙂

📆 What is coming up

• 🇬🇧 8th of August - True Heart Theatre Open Rehearsal (London, UK). Another opportunity to practice Playback Theatre or to discover it if you haven’t. Stay tuned.

• 🇬🇧 14th of August - Acaprov at Shoreditch Balls (London, UK). August tends to be a void for those staying in the city, why not filling it with fun and music? Join us for a good time. Tickets here.

• 🇬🇧 11th of September - Acaprov at Shoreditch Balls (London, UK). For so many people, September is a time for another beginning. Kick off the academic year with a musical. Secure your sit.

• 🇲🇹 18th of September - Intro to Playback Theatre (Valletta, Malta). I´m honoured to be part of the facilitator roster attending the Improvizza! festival in Malta. I´m excited to introduce Playback Theatre to improvisers there. Tickets here.

📚 🎮 🎥 📺 The geeky dessert

In 2010, a small independent game named Limbo , developed by the Danish studio Playdead, started a trend (if not a whole genre) of side-scrollers, sparkled with environmental puzzles, that let a dark story develop and reveal itself to the player without using a single spoken or written word. Same studio kept the trend with the title Inside, while a Swedish studio, Tarsier, created a notable franchise inspired by those. I’m talking about the brilliant and equally dark saga of Little Nightmares.

If you haven’t connected the dots yet, that genre seems to be the home ground for Nordic studios. Studios like the Swedish Dimfrost Studio, creator of my recommendation this week: Bramble: The Mountain King.

Bramble: The Mountain King is a game based on Scandinavian folklore that is as beautiful as it is dark, and on occasion even terrifying. We will help a little boy find his sister while dealing with trolls, giants, witches, and demons, while also encountering friendly creatures like gnomes and fairies. Like in a good heroe’s journey, the young protagonist experiences will be (close to) traumatic and transformative.

In case you are wondering how to experience it, it’s available in all major platforms, normally at a good price.