…what peculiar was going on in this town?
It's private comedy, playing in a back building, 
from where one could hear the cows lowing…

 
When his stage career failed along with his employment at The Royal Theatre in 1822, Andersen had another opportunity to make his theatre dreams come true as a student at Slagelse Grammar School. From 1822-26 he followed the plays of the Dramatic Society at the local theatre.

The repertoire of 34 plays performed here included several of Holberg's comedies and the most popular Danish, German and French plays and comedies of the time by e.g. Johan Herman Wessel, P.A. Heiberg, Aug. von Kotzebue, E.T.A. Hoffmann, and Pierre Beaumarchais.

This flourishing provincial theatre life strengthened his interest in the theatre and confirmed his decision to work for the dramatic art.