by the New Arendal Drama Society
THE STORY OF THE BIGGEST FRAUD CASE IN NORWEGIAN HISTORY
The year is 1886. Arendal is by far the wealthiest city in Norway—a major commercial hub with international appeal. It has the future at its feet. But then something sudden happens that turns everything upside down. Is Arendal Privatbank bankrupt? Rumors begin to spread, and people panic. Norway’s wealthiest city finds itself in the midst of its greatest crisis in the blink of an eye. People lose everything: money, jobs, and security. The result is mass unemployment in the region and widespread hardship. As a result, the workers gather in protest and form what will become the Norwegian Labour Party. How could all this happen? And why has so little been said about what happened?
In the fall of 2026, the story of the infamous Arendal Crash will be staged at Kilden. In the production, we meet the New Arendal Drama Society, which will attempt to dramatize Norway’s greatest economic disaster of all time. It will be a grand production about ambition, despair, and hope—wrapped up in a funny and lighthearted satire about both the past and ourselves. Joining them on stage is the region’s own Kristiansand Symphony Orchestra
Playwrights:
The screenwriters behind the show are Kristin Grue and Silje Storstein, two of the screenwriters behind the NRK series PowerFor this work, they, together with Johan Fasting, won the award for Best Screenplay at the Gullruten Awards in 2024. Now Grue and Storstein are making their playwriting debut.
Creative team:
Direction and set design: Ole Anders Tandberg
Music Director: Simon Revholt
Costume design: Maria Geber
Lighting design: Clement Irbil
Sound design: Simen Hefte
Dramaturgs: Endre Sannes Hadland and Amanda Øiestad Nilsen
Cast:
Ann Ingrid Fuglestveit, Henrik Rafaelsen, Mina Try, Eirik Langås Jørgensen, Veslemøy Mørkrid, Jørn Bjørn Fuller Gee, Lars Emil Nielsen, and the Kristiansand Symphony Orchestra.
