The Kingdom
Riget (English title: The Kingdom) is a Danish absurdist supernatural horror miniseries trilogy created by Lars von Trier and Tómas Gislason. Set in the neurosurgical ward of Copenhagen's Rigshospitalet (, nicknamed "Riget", ), each episode of the show follows the hospital's eccentric staff and patients as they encounter bizarre and sometimes supernatural phenomena. The series is notable for its wry humor, its muted sepia colour scheme, and the appearance of a chorus of dishwashers with Down syndrome, who discuss in intimate detail the strange occurrences in the hospital. The main theme's song was written by von Trier himself.
Plot
Each episode of all three series opens with the same prologue, detailing how the hospital, Rigshospitalet in Copenhagen, was built on the site of the "bleaching ponds", which recur in the name of the street of the hospital's official address, Blegdamsvej, although the exact significance of the reference is never explicitly discussed in the series.
Cast
- Alexander Skarsgård
- Ali Hamann
- Anders Hove
- Anders Mossling
- Annevig Schelde Ebbe
- Asta Kamma August
- Baard Owe
- Benny Hansen
- Benny Poulsen
- Bente Eskesen
- Birgitte Raaberg
- Birte Tove
- Birthe Neumann
- Bjarne G. Nielsen
- Bodil Jørgensen
- Charlotte Sieling
- Claus Flygare
- Claus Nissen
- Claus Strandberg
- Cyron Melville
- Danica Curcic
- David Dencik
- Dick Kaysø
- Dorte Rømer
- Elias Eliot
- Else Petersen
- Ernst-Hugo Järegård
- Finn Nielsen
- Ghita Nørby
- Gordon Kennedy
- Gunnvør Nolsøe
- Helle Virkner
- Henning Jensen
- Henrik Koefoed
- Holger Juul Hansen
- Holger Perfort
- Ida Engvoll
- Jannie Faurschou
- Jens Albinus
- Jens Jørn Spottag
- Jens Okking
- John Hahn-Petersen
- Julie Wieth
- Katrine Falkenberg
- Kirsten Rolffes
- Klaus Wegener
- Kurt Ravn
- Lado Hadzic
- Lars Lunøe
- Lars Mikkelsen
- Lars von Trier
- Laura Christensen
- Lea Brøgger
- Lene Axelsen
- Lene Vasegaard
- Lise Schrøder
- Louise Fribo
- Mads Reuther
- Marie Reuther
- Mette Marckmann
- Mette Munk Plum
- Michael Asmussen
- Michael Moritzen
- Michael Simpson
- Michelle Bjørn-Andersen
- Mikael Persbrandt
- Mikkel Vadsholt
- Morten Eisner
- Morten Rotne Leffers
- Nicolas Bro
- Nikolaj Lie Kaas
- Nis Bank-Mikkelsen
- Ole Dupont
- Ole Emil Riisager
- Ole Gorter Boisen
- Otto Brandenburg
- Paul Hüttel
- Peter Gilsfort
- Peter Mygind
- Philip Zandén
- Rasmus Botoft
- Simon Sears
- Solbjørg Højfeldt
- Solveig Sundborg
- Søren Elung Jensen
- Søren Hauch-Fausbøll
- Søren Lenander
- Søren Pilmark
- Søren Steen
- Steen Svare
- Stellan Skarsgård
- Stig Hoffmeyer
- Thomas Bo Larsen
- Tomas Stender
- Torben Zeller
- Tove Maës
- Troels Lyby
- Tuva Novotny
- Udo Kier
- Victoria Carmen Sonne
- Vita Jensen
- Willem Dafoe