A HAMPSHIRE performer has won a national theatre award after starring in an improvised show in Sweden during the summer.

Fareham-born Andrew Silverwood has scooped the Expect the Unexpected award at the Stockholm Fringe Festival with a “daring and brave” performance of GameShow.

Andrew, 23, from Titchfield Common, was joined by his colleagues at production company Fragility to pick up the award at the end of the Scandinavian festival.

The format of every show is the same, a game show, but because the performer is always supposed to be unaware of what is next, no two shows are the same.

The Swedish shows involved mouse traps, a paintball gun, eating contests, necking bottles of cider, quickfire questions, a birthday cake and a 20-person custard pie fight.

Andrew expressed his surprise at winning the gong.

He said: “I came from nowhere. It was amazing. We weren’t expecting any recognition at all.”

Now he looks forward to bringing the show back to these shores.

Andrew added: “It’s amazing to be recognised as frontrunners in our performing field, particularly at such a prestigious international festival.

“This show is so much fun to perform and I can’t wait to bring it back to the UK later this year.”

Fragility is performing at the Theatre Royal in York in November but Andrew has every hope of performing in his home county soon.

He said: “We’re happy to talk to venues about it coming to Hampshire. We’d be so happy to bring it back to Hampshire. I love coming back to my home town.”