A theatre for a sovereign island

Most visitors to Iceland start their trip in the capital city. Buzzing and bright in the summer months, Reykjavik is rich in culture, with several theatres, museums and galleries, the Harpa concert hall, music in the bars and on the streets – and lots of light. Before exploring all this, we visited the National Theatre, and went on a short excursion into Icelandic culture and history.

By Iris Abel

It is Sunday in July, and Reykjavik is bathed in a summery blue light, shining in the sky and on the water of the nearby harbour.

Not far from Laugavegur, the tourist magnet with its many shops and restaurants, we spot the mighty edifice of the National Theatre. Its art deco-inspired architecture quotes the natural surroundings of Iceland, with its grey tones and basaltic pillars all around the façade.
Hákon Hákonarson, technical director of the National Theatre, shows us around. He studied theatre and event technology at Berlin’s TFH (now Beuth Hochschule für Technik) in the nineties and subsequently worked in Germany as a stage manager.

The repertoire
The theatre stages five or six premieres per season (which lasts from September to May) in its main hall, three or four in the studio theatre, and two or three on its smallest stages, plus one to three revivals. Audiences are offered a mix of modern and classic works by Icelandic and international authors. The theatre plays a key role in promoting new Icelandic pieces and fostering young people’s interest in theatre. One member of staff is responsible for youth and educational drama work. This involves a combination of repertoire and “en bloc” programmes of spoken-word theatre and musicals, dance, puppet and kids’ theatre.
The theatre has a small ensemble of its own, made up of a few actors, who work with guests as required. Coproductions (with independent groups and dance companies) and international guest appearances have taken them to international locations including Denmark, Norway, Sweden and France, and most recently to Bratislava in Slovakia, where they showed “Othello”.

A sovereign stage
Icelandic theatre traditions go back to the 18th century. The first theatre in Reykjavik, Iðnó, was built by the city lake in 1896, when Iceland was still ruled by Denmark. The country gained independence in 1918, but initially remained united with Denmark. Iceland did not gain complete sovereignty until 17 June 1944, and it is in this context that the National Theatre was completed.
As soon as independence was formally gained, the idea arose for a new, emblematic National Theatre to signalize the country’s national sovereignty. It was championed in the early 1920s by a solitary Icelandic politician, who pushed through a motion for the theatre’s construction against some resistance in parliament. Construction started in 1929; by 1932 the shell was complete. Later, and during the Second World War, the theatre stood empty, used only for storage by the British and U.S. occupying forces. At this point, it was not yet fully equipped for showing performances. Full stage technology was installed after the war. The National Theatre was finally opened on 20 April 1950 and the inauguration was broadcast live on the radio.
The basement of the theatre then housed the city’s best restaurant, which even the government used for regular receptions. Today its wood-panelled ballroom is the premises for a revue and improvisation theatre (seating 100-120). The foyer and the main auditorium, seating 499, are located directly above it. In addition, on the fourth floor, there is a puppet theatre with space for an audience of 70, and a small workshop for the puppeteer, Bernd Ogrodnik, adjoining.
In 1987/88 plans were launched for the renovation of the auditorium and stage area; work began in 1989. In 2013/14 an extension was added for a lift to the workshops in the cellar, making set transports far easier. Twelve years ago, a 1934-built former gymnasium behind the theatre was converted into premises for two more small stages. Hákon, who stresses how valuable his studies in Berlin were, has introduced several changes to the theatre in Reykjavik. He is keen to cultivate his contacts with colleagues at various theatres, as well as with manufacturing industry professionals, in Germany and Switzerland. And he points out that a lot of creativity and sometimes improvisational skill is required to find technical solutions and really make something of the available means.