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The National Theatre of Iceland (NTI) ( is, Þjóðleikhúsið, pronounced ) 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 ...
, is the national theatre of Iceland. The theater, designed by
Guðjón Samúelsson Guðjón Samúelsson (16 April 1887 – 25 April 1950) was a State Architect of Iceland, and the first Icelander to be educated in architecture. He's been described as one of Iceland's most influential architects. His notable designs include the ...
, was formally opened on 20 April 1950. Since 2020, the artistic director of The National Theatre is Magnús Geir Þórðarsson.


Productions

The NTI performs around thirty productions each season (new productions, re-premieres, co-productions and guest performances), comprising a varied repertoire of new Icelandic works, new foreign works, Icelandic and foreign classics, musicals, dance pieces, puppet theatre and children's productions. The theatre produces around twenty new productions each year, and also collaborates with independent theatre and dance groups. The theatre serves an important role in the development of new Icelandic plays, and aims to develop youngsters' appreciation of the theatre through productions especially intended for children and youth, and special visits to the theatre.


Touring Productions

The NTI often tours its productions around Iceland, and many productions have also toured abroad, among them ''Tragedy'' at the Worlds Stages,
Kennedy Center The John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts (formally known as the John F. Kennedy Memorial Center for the Performing Arts, and commonly referred to as the Kennedy Center) is the United States National Cultural Center, located on the Potom ...
, ''Gerpla'' at The Bergen International Festival, ''Shimmer the Silver Fish'' at international children festivals in Sweden and Russia, ''The Sea Museum'' at the Centre Dramatique National d’Orléans and ''
Peer Gynt ''Peer Gynt'' (, ) is a five- act play in verse by the Norwegian dramatist Henrik Ibsen published in 1876. Written in Norwegian, it is one of the most widely performed Norwegian plays. Ibsen believed ''Per Gynt'', the Norwegian fairy tale on wh ...
'' at the Ibsen Festival in Oslo,
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
Centre for Fine Arts The Centre for Fine Arts (french: Palais des Beaux-Arts, nl, Paleis voor Schone Kunsten) is a multi-purpose cultural venue in Brussels, Belgium. It is often referred to as BOZAR (a homophone of ''Beaux-arts'') in French or PSK in Dutch. The b ...
in Brussels.


Ensemble and production

The NTI is an ensemble theatre with around 35 actors employed on a permanent basis, and also works with actors with temporary assignments. The theatre runs its own efficient production departments that manufacture sets, costumes and wigs, as well as productive sound and lighting departments. A normal rehearsal period is eight weeks, the last four weeks on stage. The theatre works closely with schools on all education levels.


International collaboration

The NTI collaborates internationally, notably with renowned directors and designers. Among international directors who have recently enriched the Icelandic theatre scene are
Yaël Farber Yaël Farber is a South African director and playwright. Early life Farber was born in Johannesburg, South Africa in 1971. Books ''Molora'' was published by Oberon Books in 2008 . Genre drama. Farber wrote the book as an Ancient Greek type ...
(''My Brilliant Friend'' 2021), Benedict Andrews (''
Macbeth ''Macbeth'' (, full title ''The Tragedie of Macbeth'') is a tragedy by William Shakespeare. It is thought to have been first performed in 1606. It dramatises the damaging physical and psychological effects of political ambition on those w ...
'' 2013, ''
King Lear ''King Lear'' is a tragedy written by William Shakespeare. It is based on the mythological Leir of Britain. King Lear, in preparation for his old age, divides his power and land between two of his daughters. He becomes destitute and insane an ...
'' 2010), Stefan Metz (''
Tartuffe ''Tartuffe, or The Impostor, or The Hypocrite'' (; french: Tartuffe, ou l'Imposteur, ), first performed in 1664, is a theatrical comedy by Molière. The characters of Tartuffe, Elmire, and Orgon are considered among the greatest classical thea ...
'' 2019, ''View from the Bridge'' 2016, ''Eyvindur and Halla'' 2015, ''
The Crucible ''The Crucible'' is a 1953 play by American playwright Arthur Miller. It is a dramatized and partially fictionalized story of the Salem witch trials that took place in the Massachusetts Bay Colony during 1692–93. Miller wrote the play as a ...
'' 2014, ''
The Caucasian Chalk Circle ''The Caucasian Chalk Circle'' (german: Der kaukasische Kreidekreis) is a play by the German modernist playwright Bertolt Brecht. An example of Brecht's epic theatre, the play is a parable about a peasant girl who rescues a baby and becomes a b ...
'' 1999) and Rimas Tuminas (''
The Seagull ''The Seagull'' ( rus, Ча́йка, r=Cháyka, links=no) is a play by Russian dramatist Anton Chekhov, written in 1895 and first produced in 1896. ''The Seagull'' is generally considered to be the first of his four major plays. It dramatises t ...
'' 1993, ''Don Juan'' 1995, ''Three Sisters'' 1997, ''
The Cherry Orchard ''The Cherry Orchard'' (russian: Вишнёвый сад, translit=Vishnyovyi sad) is the last play by Russian playwright Anton Chekhov. Written in 1903, it was first published by ''Znaniye'' (Book Two, 1904), and came out as a separate edition ...
'' 2000, ''Richard III'' 2003). Other collaborations are under way. Icelandic directors that work closely with the NTI have also gained international prestige, as theatre and film directors, among them
Baltasar Kormákur Baltasar Kormákur Baltasarsson (born 27 February 1966) is an Icelandic actor, theater and film director, and film producer. He is best known for directing the films ''101 Reykjavík'', '' The Sea'', ''A Little Trip to Heaven'', '' Contraband'' ...
( ''Adrift'', ''Everest''),
Benedikt Erlingsson Benedikt Erlingsson (born 31 May 1969) is an Icelandic actor and theater director, theater and film director. He graduated from the Iceland Academy of the Arts in 1994 and has been with the National Theater of Iceland for most of his career. He h ...
(
Nordic Council Film Prize The Nordic Council Film Prize is an annual film prize administered by the Nordic Council. The Nordisk Film & TV Fond is the funding body that administers the prize. History The first award was handed out in 2002 to celebrate the Nordic Council's ...
for ''
Of Horses and Men ''Of Horses and Men'' ( is, Hross í oss) is a 2013 Icelandic drama (film and television), drama film written and directed by Benedikt Erlingsson and produced by fellow director Friðrik Þór Friðriksson. The film was selected as the Icelandi ...
'' and '' Woman at War''), Una Þorleifsdóttir (Theatr im. Stefana Zeromskiego w Kielcach),
Gísli Örn Garðarsson Gísli Örn Garðarsson (born 15 December 1973) is an Icelandic actor and director. He is one of the founders of Vesturport, a theatre and film company based in Reykjavík, and is also sometimes a scriptwriter and producer. Before focusing on ac ...
(
Young Vic The Young Vic Theatre is a performing arts venue located on The Cut, near the South Bank, in the London Borough of Lambeth. The Young Vic was established by Frank Dunlop in 1970. Kwame Kwei-Armah has been Artistic Director since February 201 ...
, Lyric Theatre,
Royal Shakespeare Company The Royal Shakespeare Company (RSC) is a major British theatre company, based in Stratford-upon-Avon, Warwickshire, England. The company employs over 1,000 staff and produces around 20 productions a year. The RSC plays regularly in London, St ...
,
American Repertory Theater The American Repertory Theater (A.R.T.) is a professional not-for-profit theater in Cambridge, Massachusetts. Founded in 1979 by Robert Brustein, the A.R.T. is known for its commitment to new American plays and music–theater explorations; to ne ...
) and Thorleifur Örn Arnarsson (
Volksbühne The Volksbühne ("People's Theatre") is a theater in Berlin. Located in Berlin's city center Mitte on Rosa-Luxemburg-Platz (Rosa Luxemburg Square) in what was the GDR's capital. It has been called Berlin's most iconic theatre. About The Vol ...
,
Schauspiel Hannover Hanover Drama (german: Schauspiel Hannover) is a theatre company in Hanover, the state capital of Lower Saxony, Germany. The company is resident at the Hanover Playhouse () situated approximately east of Hanover Opera House, and the situated ...
).


Stages

The NTI is situated in downtown Reykjavík. Today the theatre performs in five separate venues: the Main Stage (''Stóra sviðið'', 500 seats), the Black Box (''Kassinn'', 130 seats), the Small Stage for Children (''Kúlan'', 80 seats), the experimental space the Attic (''Loftið'', 70 seats) and The Theatre Cellar Cabaret Club (''Leikhúskjallarinn'', 100-120 seats). The theatre offers a variety of refreshments for guests. A little theatre book shop is run in the foyer.


A diversity strategy for the years ahead

It is the shared ambition of the NTI's staff that the work ethics at the theatre shall be outstanding. The employee team has a vision of a collective approach in the making of theatre, and makes every endeavor for a friendly and encouraging atmosphere in the workplace. The NTI strives for upholding equality and cultivating diversity among its staff and audiences, and in its artistic objectives. Gender equality is at the heart of the personnel policy. The theatre has an official gender equality plan and received an official Equal Pay certification in 2020. The National theatre is working on a diversity strategy for the years ahead. In 2018 a Pact of Communication was co-created by the NTI staff and now serves as a communal code of conduct within the workplace.


Artistic Directors of The National Theatre


References


External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:National Theatre of Iceland Iceland, National Theatre of Iceland Theatres in Iceland Theatre in Iceland