ɪnðə fˈɜːst stˈeɪdʒɪŋ ʌvðə plˈeɪ, æt dˈɛt nˈoːɹsk θˈiəɾɚɹ ɪn bˈɜːdʒən ɪn wˈʌn θˈaʊzənd ˈeɪthˈʌndɹɪd fˈɪfti sˈɪks, ðə mˈeɪn kˈæɹɪktɚz wɜː pɚfˈɔːɹmd baɪ dʒˈoʊhænz bɹˈʌn æz bˈɛŋt ɡˈɔːɾɛsən, hɪz wˈaɪf ɪn ɹˈiːəl lˈaɪf luːwˈiːz bɹˈʌn æz mˈɑːɹdʒɪt, fɹˈɛdɹɪk nˈiːlsən æz sˈiːn, dʒˈeɪkəb pɹˈɑːm æz ɡˈʌdmʌnd ɐlfsˈɑːn, ɑːndɹˈeɪəs ˈɪsætʃsən æz nˈʌt dʒˈɛslɪŋ, ænd kˈɑːɹl hˈænsən æz ˈɛɹɪk ʌv hˈɛɡ.
In the first staging of the play, at Det norske Theater in Bergen in 1856, the main characters were performed by Johannes Brun as Bengt Gauteson, his wife in real life Louise Brun as Margit, Fredrikke Nielsen as Signe, Jacob Prom as Gudmund Alfson, Andreas Isachsen as Knut Gesling, and Carl Hansen as Erik of Hegge.