Cast list for the Game of Saint Olav 2024

Professional actors in "The Game of Saint Olav"

The play about Saint Olav turns 70 this year and can offer a cast with many strong names, both among newcomers and Stiklestad veterans. Actor Gard B. Eidsvold and opera singers Beate Mordal and Trond Gudevold are new faces on the spel stage, while Ingar Helge Gimle, Ingunn Beate Strige Øyen and Lavrans Haga are returning after several years away.

Earlier, SNK announced that King Olav Haraldsson will be played by Nils Golberg Mulvik.

Artistic director Nina Wester says the following about this year's ensemble:
"In my first year as artistic director of The Play about Saint Olav, it has been important to find actors who I know hold a high artistic level and with whom I am certain that director Ingrid Forthun can work well together.
Some have been to Stiklestad before, others are debutants. One of the debutants is Gard B. Eidsvold, who will play Torgeir Flekk. I have worked with Gard over many years and know what an immensely talented actor he is. He is best known from the screen and this autumn plays the lead role in Erik Poppe's new film about Quisling.
Another actress I am a great admirer of is Ingunn Beate Strige Øyen. She will play the role of Gudrid, a role she has played before. It is very great to be able to invite Ingunn Beate back to Stiklestad, especially now that she has moved back to Inderøy after many years in Oslo. I myself have had the pleasure of collaborating with Ingunn Beate in the performance "Idiot!" at Turneteatret Trøndelag and can confirm that she is a very skilled and touching actress."

Director Ingrid Forthun wholeheartedly agrees and adds:
In the role of Gudrun, we were looking for an artist with a special ability to experience emotions and who possesses the combination "an eminent singer and, in addition, an exceptionally good actor". We are thrilled and humbled that our Gudrun will be played this year by the renowned opera singer Beate Mordal. She is educated at NTNU and the Opera Academy in Copenhagen and is now pursuing an international career in opera houses across Europe.

Another opera singer making his debut at Stiklestad is Trond Gudevold. He will play the role of Tormod Kolbrunarskald. Trond is educated at the Barratt Due Music Institute and the Norwegian Academy of Opera in Oslo. He has a long career behind him with several roles at Den Norske Opera & Ballett, several opera houses in Germany and the various district operas around the country. The role of the bard perfectly suits his musical register and temperament. The public can really look forward to seeing him, says Forthun

One of our favorite actors is Ingar Helge Gimle. He is a strong stage personality and has the warmth, wisdom and strength that we believe the role of Gamal-Jostein requires. Nothing is better than that he also has experience with the game from before. Ingar Helge has played both the king and Torgeir Flekk. Gimle has recently toured with the Riksteatret in the performance "A glass to".

Another veteran at Stiklestad is Lavrans Haga. He will play the role of Kvistadbonden, who in this year's version will have more space in the script. Lavrans is a versatile and skilled actor who has extensive experience from the Play about Heilag Olav and other outdoor plays, and is himself from Verdal.

This year's game also gets a new choreographer; Cina Espejord. Espejord is educated at Den Norske Opera's Ballettskole and Ballettschule des Hamburg Ballett, and has been employed by the National Ballet since 2004. As a choreographer, Espejord has created several works for the National Ballet, among others Ghosts – Ibsen's Regulars, which she created together with director Marit Moum Aune. For this choreography she won the Kritikerprisen 2015. Espejord has also created works outside the National Ballet. Among other things, she directed the Musikkfabrikken at Hunderfossen family park 2023, which recently won a Thea Award (2024) for best attraction.

Next weekend there will also be auditions and dances for amateur actors and dancers in collaboration with Verdal Teaterlag in Stiklestad.

The Olsok days at Stiklestad.
The play about Saint Olav is the core of the Olsokdagene festival at Stiklestad. This year's Olsok days take place in the period 24 - 29 July. The game about Saint Olav, who turns 70 this year, will be played on 25, 27, 28 and 29 July. Earlier, SNK announced that the theme for this year's festival is SAFE?, and that Foreign Minister Espen Barth Eide is this year's Stiklestad profile.