The Fork Theatre premieres the play No Idea

Original play by the Gaflar Theatre

„Now I'm not directing but producing. I'm sitting on the sidelines, a seasoned producer, and watching the young artists flourish,“ says Björk Jakobsdóttir, a co-founder of the Gaflar Theatre, excited for the premiere of the theatre's play. No idea on the Small Stage at the City Theatre on 30 January at 8 p.m.

„Now is the time to enjoy what we at the Gaflar Theatre have nurtured. Yes, and to collaborate with new, talented performing artists. We want to give young artists the stage,“ she says, describing this brand-new play.

„This is a new, original work. There are nine new songs in the show. The artists behind the show are so prolific and the process so fluid,“ she describes amusingly.

As described on the website, the children, Arnór, Óli and Vigdís, are all lost at a crossroads. they have no idea what to do, but with comedy, semi-philosophical theories, song and all the theatrical tricks at their disposal, they are going to figure it out and bring the Icelandic nation an answer to life's mysteries!,“ says Björk.

A strong team behind the play

„Oli Gunnar and Arnór have written and performed several popular works for us. We have then brought two new geniuses on board for this piece: Vigdís Hafliða, who is a magnificent artist, stand-up comedian and musician, and Egil Andrason, a newly-graduated director,“ she says. The play is written and performed by Vigdís Hafliða, Arnór Björnsson and Óli Gunnar Gunnarsson.

„The conceptual work started last spring,“ says Björk. „Then come the meetings; the initial drafts. They've been writing since September.“ Then the roles overlap and they all influence one another.

„Yes, in co-creation the hats are exchanged. Then we have young people in artistic design. We wanted to keep the team young,“ says Björk, describing how the exhibition is quite the stuff of sewing circle shows.

Björk Jakobsdóttir, one of the founders of the Gaflar Theatre, and Artist in Residence for the City of Hafnarfjörður in 2019.

The questions of life at every step

„I'm also at the age of having two twenty-something children. So I find something else in the work. There's this undertone: Finding yourself, have I done enough? Am I enough? These are questions you grapple with well into old age. Have I found happiness? Why can't I find love?“

She says the subject is also entertaining for people who have been through it all and are now watching younger generations grapple with the same life challenges.

„Am I a good parent?“ she continues. „Why not me? Why isn't my life there. I look at myself. We old folk all agreed that there were stories there we could relate to.“

Speak of worthy things

Björk says that they at the Gaflar Theatre want to laugh with the audience. „But at the same time, we want to deal with worthy subjects. We want to take the little knot of anxiety and throw it at the wall. So the work has a strong Gafló – signature,“ she says.

„Yes, there's this idea of showing that we're all alright, even though we're just average Joes. Yes, and then we older people look at this anxious generation that gets a participation trophy for everything they do. So it's a fantastic show for parents and young people to go to together.

• Thirteen shows are now on sale. Tickets can be found here.