Reykjavík Grapevine - 01.02.2013, Blaðsíða 19

Meet ‘new girl’ Gréta, an 80-something-year-old go-get-
ter who, after being dumped rather unceremoniously in a
home for the elderly, soon finds fun and friendship in this
not-so-unhappy setting. Gréta is just one of the loveable
characters in ‘Hjartaspaðar’, a wonderful piece of theatre,
combining the superb directorial skill of Ágústa Skúladót-
tir with exquisite mask-making techniques.
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THE REAL ONE SINCE 2000
19 THEATER
Gréta soon hooks up with Hannes, distinguished by his smooth charm and
uncanny resemblance to a (somewhat older, grey-er and noticeably less
limber) flare-clad John Travolta, in addition to Hannes’ partner-in-crime,
Grímur, whose greatest achievement each day involves successfully stimu-
lating bowel movement (a happy day, indeed). Together, Hannes and Grímur
contend for Gréta’s attention in a series of comic sketches: cue heart-
wrenching moments of abandoned, frail old lady juxtaposed with drunken
orgies, romps on the bed, sneaking out for an illicit cigarette break and ‘my
guitar is bigger than yours’ euphemisms.
What makes ‘Hjartaspaðar’ so unique, aside from its compelling char-
acters and batty sketches, is that the entire play is performed through the
medium of mask and mime. Without voice or facial expression to rely on,
the talented cast of actors is forced to make use of subtle gestures and
body language. Exaggerated action characterises this performance, and
well-timed movements are crucial: be it a turn of the head, a hand on the
hip (not necessarily one’s own) or, in one particular scene, a bizarre flailing
of limbs similar to an inebriated chipmunk. The action onstage works two
ways, however, as the audience is required to read this universal language
of mime, which draws both audience and actors into a metacommunicative
dialogue transcending text and concrete meaning.
The set is simple, the storyline straightforward and the cast small; Gréta
(Aldís Davíðsdóttir), Hannes (Orri Huginn Águstsson) and Grímur (Stefán
Benedikt Vilhelmsson) form the core characters, whilst the matron (Álfrún
Gísladóttir) and two handymen (Erna Björk Einarsdóttir and Klæmint H. Isak-
sen) offer highly comic support. Together, the actors show, rather than tell,
the quirks of old age and offer a window, or a snapshot, into the lively antics
of an old people’s home. The behaviour onstage is full of laugh-out-loud mo-
ments and slapstick scenes including an overly competitive chess game, in
addition to a big-bosomed matron chasing surprisingly supple elderly men
around the stage with a hypodermic needle.
Yet the magic of mask and mime which emanates from ‘Hjartaspaðar’
also has the power to lower the performance’s light-hearted tone complete-
ly: there are some truly touching and lump-in-the-throat moments which
prove, in this wonderful piece of whacky physical theatre, that despite the
taboos surrounding it, old age can still be fun, friendly and full of laughs—
both bowel movements and booze included. - ANNA MILLWARD
CONCERT
R E V I E W
THEATER
R E V I E W
Ain't No Party Like
An OAP Party
Hjartaspaðar (Heart of Spades)
7
FEBRUARY
Gaflaraleikhúsið Theatre, in Hafnarfjörður
Call 565-5900 or email midasala@gaflaraleikhusid.is for more information.
Last show