Reykjavík Grapevine - 15.06.2018, Page 58

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LIFE IN PICTURES
Dragons, Deities,
Morphoclogs
Text: John Rogers Photos: Timothée Lambrecq
There’s something strange go-
ing on outside Iðnó. A cluster of
tall, black, bipedal reptiles stand
with their backs to the wall,
looking out over Tjörnin. They
peer down over the heads of the
crowd that has gathered for the
spectacle. Their jaws gnash,
their tails lash, and their blue-
green eyes glitter until a gothic
ringmaster yells out an indeci-
pherable series of commands—
t h en t h ey ’r e of f , s t r i d i n g
through the streets of Reykjavík,
emitting weird howling sounds,
pulling at the trees around them,
bickering with each other, and
snapping at the heads of passers
by. Children howl in terror and
delight.
The Close-Act Theatre’s per-
formance, ‘Saurus,’ is an atten-
tion-grabbing start to the 2018
Reykjavík Arts Festival. This
sprawling multi-disciplinary
event—usually held over several
weeks in May or June—has of-
ten announced its arrival with
similar show-stopping street
performances. While it was once
an annual fixture in Reykjavík’s
cultural calendar, the festival
became biannual after the 2016
edition. Its absence left a hole in
the summer of 2017, so it’s with
no small sense of anticipation
that we dive into the packed itin-
erary of the festival’s opening
day. Here’s what went down.
Close-Act Theatre's "Saurus" gets things underway
When dragons attack....
Party-goers Daniel and Hunter at the festival hub A beautiful performance at the opening ceremony Gaellyn Lea performing for the throng