MONEY! POLITICS! FRAUD! BETRAYAL!
In the fall of 2026, the story of the infamous Arendal crash will be staged at Kilden. We’ll meet the New Arendal Drama Society as it attempts to dramatize one of Norway’s greatest economic disasters of all time. This dystopian farce explores how the madness of the powerful and greed never go out of style, and how we are haunted by the ghosts of the past. It will be a spectacular production about money, politics, fraud, and betrayal!
Joining them on stage is the region’s own Kristiansand Symphony Orchestra. Get ready to enjoy this spectacular story—one you’d never have guessed was part of Arendal’s own local history.
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?
Read more about the Arendal crash in our interview with Kubens historian Håkon Haugland.
Playwrights:
The screenwriters behind the production are Kristin Grue and Silje Storstein, two of the screenwriters behind the NRK series *Makta*. For this work, they—along with Johan Fasting—won the award for Best Screenplay at the 2024 Gullruten Awards. Now, Grue and Storstein are making their debut as playwrights.
Artistic Team:
Director and Set Designer: Ole Anders Tandberg
Musical Director: Simon Revholt
Costume Designer: Maria Geber
Lighting design: Clement Irbil
Sound design: Simen Hefte
Dramaturgs: Endre Sannes Hadland and Amanda Øiestad Nilsen
Conductor: Øyvind Bjorå
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.
