The Reykjavík City Theatre (RCT) ( is, Borgarleikhúsið ) is a theatre in

Reykjavík Reykjavík ( ; ) is the capital and largest city of Iceland. It is located in southwestern Iceland, on the southern shore of Faxaflói bay. Its latitude is 64°08' N, making it the world's northernmost capital of a sovereign state. With a po ...

, Iceland.

History

In 1989, after ninety years of performing in a small wooden building in the city centre, the

company A company, abbreviated as co., is a Legal personality, legal entity representing an association of people, whether Natural person, natural, Legal person, legal or a mixture of both, with a specific objective. Company members share a common p ...

inaugurated a new theatre building adjacent to the Kringlan mall. It opened with a double bill of plays by Kjartan Ragnarsson, based on works by Halldór Laxness.

Characteristics

The large new building (11,000 square metres in total), has four adaptable stages. The main stage seats 560 people, a

black box theatre A black box theater is a simple performance space, typically a square room with black walls and a flat floor. The simplicity of the space allows it to be used to create a variety of configurations of stage and audience interaction. The black ...

holds 240, a

theatre-in-the-round A theatre in the round, arena theatre or central staging is a space for theatre in which the audience surrounds the Stage (theatre), stage. Theatre-in-the-round was common in ancient theatre, particularly that of Greece and Rome, but was not wi ...

220, and a café-theatre has room for 120 at full capacity. The RCT employs up to 200 people at any given time. The company also contracts international talent for a selection of projects. All elements of productions take place within the theatre itself, which has its own lighting, costume, make-up, and sound departments, set and props workshops, as well as a technical

stage crew A stagehand is a person who works backstage or behind the scenes in theatres, film, television, or location performance. Their work include setting up the scenery, lights, sound, props, rigging, and special effects for a production. General S ...

. The

artistic director An artistic director is the executive of an arts organization, particularly in a theatre or dance company, who handles the organization's artistic direction. They are generally a producer and director, but not in the sense of a mogul, since the ...

is Magnus Geir Thordarson, and the manager is Thorsteinn S. Asmundsson. The company season runs from September through June each year. The RCT stages nine to thirteen new productions annually, in addition to hosting a variety of collaborations with other theatre companies. Its audience tallies range from 150,000 to 220,000 per year, making it the most popular theatre in Iceland. The RCT is subsidised by the City of Reykjavík.

Productions

The company draws on international and domestic works. The RCT promotes a wide range of outside events, varying from philosophical debates to rock concerts. The company also promotes productions by independent theatre groups. Each year, the theatre hosts international guest performances, while exporting progressive Icelandic theatre to festivals and theatres on the international scene. The RCT has collaborated with international companies such as the

Barbican Centre The Barbican Centre is a performing arts centre in the Barbican Estate of the City of London and the largest of its kind in Europe. The centre hosts classical and contemporary music concerts, theatre performances, film screenings and art exhi ...

in London and Het Muziek Theater in Amsterdam.

References

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Reykjavik City Theatre Culture in Reykjavík Buildings and structures in Reykjavík Theatres in Iceland Tourist attractions in Reykjavík