Welcome to the Game about Saint Olav

WELCOME TO THE GAME OF SAINT OLAF!

It's here again, the most wonderful time of the year: it's olsok and ready for the "Game of Saint Olav"!

You, who are reading this program, are now part of a long and proud tradition. Olsok has been celebrated for almost a thousand years and games have been an essential part of Olsok in Stiklestad since 1954. In this amphitheater, countless memories and bonds have been created. I hope the evening will bring an experience that you will carry with you for a long time.

How has "The Game of Saint Olav" managed to engage so many for over 70 years? One answer is the power of the core story. The stories of Olav Haraldsson/Olav the Saint have a unique position in Norwegian history. In the game, screenwriter Olav Gullvåg weaves this together with the lives of individuals on the Sul farm. This makes the symbol-heavy story more personal and relatable, while at the same time making it extra powerful through the interaction between the script and Paul Okkenhaug's beautiful music.

"The Play of St. Olav" carries with it more than the story of 1030, however. The performance is in constant development, influenced by both the present and various artistic approaches. This creates excitement, relevance and not least: commitment! This year we get to experience the play for the second time under Nina Wester's artistic direction and Ingrid Forthun's direction. They collaborate with an impressive artistic team, a strong acting ensemble and an enormous playing apparatus. Because: an important part of the play's power lies in the fact that it is the result of a massive team effort: producer and rights holders, amateurs and professionals and not least: an exceptional volunteerism. Many of us have worked together to create the experience that awaits you.

The entire country is now working on the National Jubilee 2030. We at the Stiklestad National Cultural Center and the Arven Museums have a great responsibility for this. An important part of our anniversary work is "Stiklestad for a new thousand years", the project that will further develop the battle site and symbolic place Stiklestad as a powerful democratic arena. "The Game of Saint Olav" is of course a central part of it. We are therefore very much looking forward to the "mother of all games" showing the unique power she still carries within.

Thank you so much to those of you who have helped make this possible! And: a heartfelt thank you to those of you who have made the trip here.

Really good fun!

Greetings from Olsok
Heidi Anett Øvergård Beistad

Director Museums Arven