Susie Wang
We’d like to finally welcome Susie Wang back to Kilden! In a short time, Susie Wang has managed to establish itself as one of the most interesting performing arts groups in Europe. After sold-out performances in cities such as London, Berlin, and New York, and glowing reviews in newspapers like *Die Welt* and *The New York Times*, Susie Wang returns to Kristiansand. The last time Susie Wang performed at Kilden was in 2020 with *Licht und Liebe*. The entire run was sold out, so be sure to secure your tickets well in advance.
Susie Wang is an Oslo-based theater group founded in 2017 by Trine Falch, Martin Langlie, Mona Solhaug, and Bo Krister Wallstrøm. Falch and Wallstrøm have backgrounds in the performance collective Baktruppen, which helped turn European theater on its head in the 1990s. As part of what later came to be known as post-dramatic theater, they created performances without fiction or characters, attempting to blur the boundaries between theater and reality. But with Susie Wang, they began to pick up the pieces of the old theater they themselves had helped to dismantle—in order to build a new form of expression. They wanted to write fiction again, to use the theatrical and the infinite possibilities and unrealities of the theater space.
Susie Wang takes her audience into a world that at first glance seems like a harmonious and pleasant place to be—until the monstrous begins to intrude. Or, as Trine Falch herself puts it: “Take a happy place and take the happy out of it.”
Heavy Breathers
It’s not easy to be at the top of the food chain. More and more cells are refusing to divide and become like us. Many would rather turn into cancer. The future looks bleak. It’s been a long time since time was on our side. My God, if even nature doesn’t care, who’s going to save us?
In *Heavy Breathers*, we’re at Dr. Jack’s prenatal class. Everyone is past their due date, but the world is a dangerous place and the babies won’t come out. The women are swaying back and forth, about to burst, and groaning. Skyler has swollen feet, Zoe is losing her hair, Sheila is scared, and the universe couldn’t care less.
We have long suspected that nature has grown tired of us. Something has come between us. Now it’s stuck there, neither coming out nor going in. Nature has never really been on our side, anyway.
In *Heavy Breathers*, the female body takes center stage, serving as a breeding ground, a mystery, and a crime scene. There is both sex and violence, and as is typical of Susie Wang, it is the body that bears the brunt. In any case, it has never been on our side.
Death is on our side.
"Heavy Breathers" is both a black comedy and an existential body horror film in which the plot moves from life to death and back again, flowing freely between the banal and the cosmic.
Language: English
Not suitable for children.
Supported by the Norwegian Cultural Council.
Co-production: Black Box Teater and the National Theater.
Heavy Breathers premiered at the Black Box Theater in Oslo in 2024. In connection with a guest performance at the National Theater in the spring of 2026, the production was adapted into a new version.
Concept: Susie Wang
Written and directed by: Trine Falch
Set design: Bo Krister Wallström and Oscar Solløs
Music and sound design: Martin Langlie
Lighting design: Phillip Isaksen
Stage Technology: Simen Ulvestad and Oscar Solløs
Special effects: Fanney Antonsdóttir
Dialect coach: Sarah Valentine
Producer: Bo Krister Wallström
Photo: Simen Ulvestad
Roles
Sheila: Mona Solhaug
Skyler: Julie Solberg
Zoe: Kjersti Aas Stenby
Clay: Phillip Isaksen
Morty: Simen Ulvestad
Dr. Jack: Henrik Rafaelsen
John: Oscar Solløs
Practical information
About intimsalen Roomadd
Seating capacity: 100. Intimsalen the smallest venue at Kilden. It is also a black box theater, offering flexibility in audience and stage configurations.
Foajébarenadd
The lobby bar is always open during major events. During events held in the larger halls, please expect some wait times for service; arrive well in advance and pay attention to announcements as the event start time approaches.
Frihavn Restaurantadd
We serve delicious dishes made with the finest seasonal ingredients from local suppliers. The restaurant is located in the Kilden lobby, so you can easily head straight to the performance after your meal.
Wheelchair usersadd
Kilden has an elevator for our visitors who are disabled. The halls have dedicated spaces for wheelchairs. If you need assistance, please contact the box office or one of our staff in the foyer. Wheelchair spaces can be booked by contacting our box office. You can also book a ticket for a companion with a companion certificate.
Hearing Aidadd
Kilden has 3 different hearing aid solutions available in all three halls - which one you choose depends on which connection options you have on your hearing aid.
