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

Reykjavík Reykjavík is the Capital city, capital and largest city in Iceland. It is located in southwestern Iceland on the southern shore of Faxaflói, the Faxaflói Bay. With a latitude of 64°08′ N, the city is List of northernmost items, the worl ...

, 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 legal people, whether Natural person, natural, Juridical person, juridical or a mixture of both, with a specific objective. Company members ...

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 Halldór Kiljan Laxness (; born Halldór Guðjónsson; 23 April 1902 – 8 February 1998) was an Icelandic writer and winner of the 1955 Nobel Prize in Literature. He wrote novels, poetry, newspaper articles, essays, plays, travelogues and sh ...

Characteristics

The large new building (11,000 square metres in total), has four adaptable stages. The main stage seats 547 people, a

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

holds 220, a theatre-in-the-round 198, 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 includes setting up the scenery, lights, sound, props, rigging, and special effects for a production. General ...

. The

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

is Brynhildur Guðjónsdóttir, and the manager is Krístín Ögmundsdóttir. 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 partly 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, England, and the largest of its kind in Europe. The centre hosts classical and contemporary music concerts, theatre performances, film screenings a ...

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