On the Classic Voices of the Minute – Remembering Margaretha Krook
October 15, 2025 marks the 100th anniversary of the birth of Margaretha Krook , one of Sweden's most beloved actresses whose versatile talent ranged from dramatic theatre roles at Dramaten to humorous roles in film and radio. One of her most brilliant contributions was in the radio program På minuten , the Swedish version of the British Just a Minute , which premiered in 1969 on Sveriges Radio and is still broadcast every Saturday on P1.
På minut is an improvisational panel show where four contestants are challenged to speak for exactly one minute on a given topic – without hesitation, repeating words or deviating from the topic. Points are awarded based on success, and the show is recorded in front of an audience with a host controlling the chaos. The rules are strict but flexible: repetition of words is forbidden (unlike the original), but deviations from the truth are often tolerated for the sake of laughter. From its inception in Malmö under Herbert Söderström, production quickly moved to Stockholm with Lennart Swahn as host, and the format has since evolved with new panels and prizes such as exotic preserves.
Margaretha Krook (1925–2001) became a central figure in the program's golden era in the 1970s and 1980s. She was part of the classic quartet with Catrin Westerlund, Jan "Moltas" Eriksson and Stig Järrel – a line-up often described as the funniest in the history of På minutens . Krook's participation spanned hundreds of episodes, where her quick wit, precise timing and ability to weave absurdity with everyday anecdotes made her irresistible. A memorable example is from 1974, when she improvised about her "grandfather's escape from a booth" – a story full of exaggerations that made the audience burst into laughter. Her voice, with its characteristic mix of elegance and mischief, could transform a dry subject such as "attracting the mane of a lion" or "the wrong sleeping car compartment" into pure comic poetry. Moltas Eriksson often protested against her fables, while Järrel and Westerlund added their own madness, but it was Krook's subtle irony that often stole the show.
Krook's efforts in På minuten reflected her breadth as an artist: from tragic roles as Mother Courage at the Dramaten to the revue humor of Hasse & Tage in films such as Picasso's Adventures (1978). The program gave her space to play with improvisation, a talent she had refined over the years, and it contributed to her status as "the queen of laughter and tears".