Reykjavík Grapevine - 10.11.2017, Page 52

Taking The Stage Where
Everybody’s Spectacular
The international festival breathes life into performance
Words: Elías Þórsson Photo: Art Bicnick
“The name has a double meaning.
It’s both a reference to the body
and to the fact that everybody is
spectacular,” says Ásgerdur G.
Gunnarsdottir, one of the four
artistic directors and the general
manager behind the Everybody’s
Spectacular festival. “We felt it
suited the festival, as it deals with
all sorts of bodies and voices.”
Everybody’s Spectacular is
a five day annual international
(stage) perfor-
mance festival
that takes place
i n Re y k j av í k .
It was founded
i n 2 015 when
t he Reyk jav í k
D a n c e Fe s t i -
val and LÓKAL
I nt e r n a t i on a l
theatre festival
decided to come
together to host
one mega per-
formance event.
“ We felt it
was weird that
there were two
semi big festivals and thought it
would be smarter to merge the two
into one big stage performance art
festival,” says Ásgerður. “Our goal
is twofold: both to introduce Ice-
landic performers to foreigners
and to import works that perhaps
have a different aesthetic than we
normally get in Iceland.”
Breaking the mould
The festival also takes as its man-
date to break the traditional and
maybe constricting confines of
the theatre and move perfor-
mances into the outside world.
Shows will be held on the street
and even in peo-
ple's homes as a
way to challenge
p r e c o n c e i v e d
notions of what
the stage is. The
u nt r a d it i on a l
approach a lso
e x p a n d s i nt o
the pieces them-
selves.
“We have for
example a new
work by a Brit-
ish performance
artist, The Fa-
m o u s L a u r en
Barri Holstein,
that plays with nudity and trashy
culture and also deals with the
concept of the witch,” Ásgerður
explains. “We try to pick works
that deal with issues and subjects
that maybe aren’t discussed that
much in our day to day lives. For
instance, Gerald Kurdian is work-
ing with queer revolutions that
have taken place in the Western
world, like feminism and sexual
revolutions. We also have a per-
formance from Ireland that deals
with the emotional lives of men,
called ‘Have I No Mouth’.”
Variety show
Everybody (ha!) should be able
to find something to their liking
during the five days of perfor-
mances, as the works range from
thought provoking to humorous,
to quite serious.
“The programme is very var-
ied and shows many sides to the
performing arts,” Ásgerður con-
cludes. “So whether it is comedy
or drama that you are looking for,
you should find what you want. Or
even if you just want a good party
where you meet the artists. We
have all that and more.”
Everybody’s Spectacular runs from
November 15-19 and tickets are avail-
able both for the entire festival and
for individual events on www.tix.is
Website of the festival is www.spec-
tacular.is
“We try to pick
works that deal
with issues and
subjects that
maybe aren’t
discussed that
much in our day
to day lives.”
52 The Reykjavík Grapevine
Issue 20 — 2017
Ásgerður G. Gunarsdóttir of Everybody's Spectacular
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