On the 40th anniversary of Olof Palme's murder, Profilteatern in Umeå is staging the rock opera "Palmegruppen rider igen". Musicians John Andersson and Viktor Asbaghi Sandström from the band Polisman B have been interpreting the investigation in rock format since 2020. The production mixes humor and music to depict the investigation's red herrings.
The murder of Prime Minister Olof Palme on February 28, 1986, on Sveavägen in Stockholm remains unsolved after 40 years. To mark the anniversary, Umeå-based Profilteatern has collaborated with the rock band Polisman B to create the rock opera "Palmegruppen rider igen". The production, part of the theater's Udda helg concept, is presented as a farce with comedic elements about the investigation's chaos.
John Andersson and Viktor Asbaghi Sandström have produced songs like "Kanske var det jag" and "Ljuset vid Tunnelgatans slut" since 2020, referencing red herrings such as PKK and Skandiamannen. The band name Polisman B refers to a suspect in the police track, but they emphasize that the real person has no connection to the band. "He appears in the so-called police track. But we want to be clear that the real person has nothing to do with our band," says John Andersson.
The opera features a character named Polisman B, who works at the police headquarters on Kungsholmen and spreads misinformation. "Dramaturgically, we use a character named Polisman B with John's sinister look. He works at the police house on Kungsholmen in Stockholm and spreads red herrings about who is guilty. Polisman B is the spider in the web," explains Viktor Asbaghi Sandström.
The production is described as a rock opera where music frames the story of how society and the investigation handle the case. It builds on previous comedic depictions, such as Looptroop's song "Jag sköt Palme" and the film "Hassel – privatspanarna". The band highlights that the aftermath of the murder offers humorous opportunities, especially Krister Petersson's 2020 press conference on Stig Engström. "No matter how long we keep at it and how funny we try to be, we will never be able to top Krister Petersson's press conference when he pointed out Stig Engström," says John Andersson.
The three planned performances from February 27 to March 1 are sold out, and interest in the Palme investigation shows no signs of waning. "We hope so, because we've said we'll quit as soon as someone is prosecuted. I don't want to dress up as a 60-year-old policeman," says Viktor Asbaghi Sandström.
