Donatas Kveselys is the second Lithuanian comedian featured on this podcast. This episode, however, feels half-dedicated to the Kingdom and the people of Sweden, for Gothenburg, Sweden is where Donatas currently lives and where he started performing stand up comedy (in English).

Donatas is a London Comedy Store Gong Show winner. He also secured the 3rd spot in the Roast Battles’ 2024 International Western Division League table.

Having already left his Eastern European homeland Lithuania to move to Sweden for work, Donatas gave stand up comedy a go in his adopted country where the majority of population do not speak English as their mother tongues (but are known to proficient English speakers). Talking about layers of cultural and linguistic code switching!

Donatas discusses how he got to understand the reserved Swedish folks inside out from a foreigner’s perspective. He talks about doing Swedish jokes for Swedish crowds - If you don’t know already, you should definitely google “SNUS” and “SWEDEN” - but also explains why he is now travelling and gigging elsewhere in Europe for a broader reach.

Content warning - from 34:47 onwards there's a brief mention of suicidal feelings as part of a discussion on anxieties

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Follow Donatas on Instagram

Follow your host Kuan-wen on Instagram

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If you like the episode, please share it and leave a review. For any comments or suggestions, please contact us on Instagram or email comedywithanaccent@gmail.com

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01:02 Intro

04:12 A Lithuanian comedian performing English stand up comedy in Sweden

05:18 An East European accent

07:13 The odd foreign performer who performs in English at Swedish comedy shows

10:18 Lithuania in Swedish people’s eyes

12:57 Dissecting the “Chernobyl Survivor” joke and Lithuanian stereotypes

16:21 Lithuanians’ views of HBO’s series Chernobyl being shot in Vilnius

19:20 A white comedian with a foreign accent vs a Swedish comedian from ethnic minority backgrounds

23:45 Lithuanian as an East European language but not a Slavic language - it’s a Baltic language

25:11 Swedish people in Donatas’ words

28:30 Jokes for Swedish audience only; “SNUS” in Sweden

30:41 Travelling around to perform to difference audiences

32:03 What does Donatas like about performing for the Swedish audience

33:10 Bad at imitating his comedy idols, finding his own voice

34:47 Penchant for dark humour

37:35 Returning to his home country to perform in Lithuanian?

40:09 Donatas’ social media

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Podcast intro music by @Taigenkawabe