Detektivbyrå nr. 2: Operasjon Teater

Based on the *wildly* popular children's book series by Jørn Lier Horst and Hans Jørgen Sandnes, the universe of DETEKTIVBYRÅ NR. 2 comes to the stage thanks to Riksteatret, and was touring all over Norway for three whole seasons, still selling out every night!

Needless to say, it has been a complete joy to get to play in the wonderful universe created by Horst and Sandnes, and under the beyond excellent direction of my "partner in crime" Hilde Brinchmann (who also wrote the story and script together with Horst).

Occasionally, these projects come along where you can go completely BONKERS. At first listen, this is a kind of sneaky "film noir"-inspired detective score, with an integrated dusty, creaky and pathos-like Hamlet performance, like a meta theatre play inside the play itself. And THEN it goes full-on wacko. Eventually, the two worlds start to blend together, meta-characters go in and out of their roles, the imaginary stage orchestra starts forgetting their parts, playing wrong notes... And before you can say WHAT THE ACTUAL FUDGE, this is where we're at: Stealth jazz detective bass meets Mozart's Requiem, as performed by the castle orchestra in "Tre Nøtter til Askepott". With a touch of tango and a dash of American Beauty, and who knows — maybe you'll even get a Jesus Christ Superstar-esque musical finale when you least expect it. The confusion is complete, both for the actors in the mystery and for the composer!