Reykjavík Grapevine - aug 2021, Qupperneq 12

Creatin! Possibilities In
The Under!round
The National Theatre Of Iceland provides a stage for
marginalised artists
Words: Brittnee Kiner Photos: Art Bicnick
Recognition of Iceland’s vibrant
arts culture radiates across the
globe—as does the assumption
that the scene has always been
as diverse as it is today. In reality
though, much of Reykjavík’s un-
derground artists have always been
just that—underground. It’s only
recently that traditionally “low”
artforms, like burlesque, cabaret
and drag, have begun to depart
from the confinement of queer
bars and other diversity-friendly
venues. Now, they’re knocking on
the door of !jó"leikhúsi", Iceland’s
National Theatre.
Key to this radical change is
Gréta Kristín Ómarsdóttir, Cre-
ative Director of the National
Theatre Basement, Kjallarinn. Af-
ter a year-long renovation of the
space—which was long kept alive
by improv performances—she’s
ready to reopen, pulling aside the
velvet curtain of the historically
non-diverse institution to make
room for what she refers to as “raw
art.” And what’s “raw art”? Well,
it’s the kind of culture that has al-
ways existed in the margins, but
now it’ll be given the same respect
and attention as culturally main-
stream theatrical and operatic per-
formances. And it’s about time.
Cultural capital
“Queer culture was practically
non-existent [when I grew up],”
Gréta explains. “That has a lot to do
with why it’s important to me and
why I have a passion for it. I wasn’t
born with any cultural capital.”
Gréta was born in a small town,
she explains, so exposure to queer
culture was minimal until she
moved to Reykjavík. This led to a
bit of a crisis of identity—repre-
sentation matters. “Being a queer
person, I had this identity that
didn’t really relate to what was ex-
pected of me. So, I had to sort of
make my own,” she says. Eventu-
ally, Gréta stumbled into the aca-
demic world, which allowed her
to create, reshape and understand
her own identity. “That’s how I
came into the theatre. I see it as a
tool to recreate what’s possible.”
Fostering a future
Alternative art forms, Gréta em-
phasises, have long struggled to
make their way through the doors
of institutions like the
National Theatre,
which has focused
on more convention-
al performances.
“Historically and
politically, theatre is
about creating pos-
sibilities for people,”
she says. “We have to
be aware when we’re
working in theatre,
we’re actually creat-
ing meaning—espe-
cially for a public institution that’s
funded with public money.”
Of course, the queer community
also pays taxes, making their rep-
resentation equally valid. There-
fore, Kjallarinn is about to pres-
ent one of its most dynamic and
diverse stages yet. “We also have
to be aware of what stories we are
telling.” she explains, passionately.
“This is a place where [artists] can
grow and elevate their form.”
Radiating warmth, Gréta ad-
mits that she hopes to “create a
family here and give the artists an
opportunity to grow. I want the
audiences of the National Theatre
to get something that they don’t
expect.”
“It’s also for queer people who
have been marginalized but have
found glamour in their grievance
to create their own culture,” she
says. And now they can share that
with the world.
Restoration of old
charm
Stepping into the dimly lit Kjal-
larinn, you would never guess that
its wooden and warm details en-
dured a large scale renovation this
year. Gréta and her team managed
to revive the space, restoring its
original charm. The entrance even
underwent a facelift. “It’s no lon-
ger like you’re coming to the den-
tist,” she laughs. Hints of nostalgia
pervade, though, but with a touch
of vintage class; you can almost
smell the glamour emitting from
the wall panels.
While creating a comfortable
space for the public was impor-
tant, above all else Gréta wanted to
give artists a nice place to perform.
And starting in September, guests
will be able to catch
matinées along with
drag brunches next
spring hosted by
the legendary drag
queen Gógó Starr.
The atmosphere
will be mild by day,
Gréta explains, but
the space will trans-
form into a speak-
easy style theatre by
night, equipped with
a full bar. Cocktail
names will be adorned with refer-
ences to the shows of the night,
such as the “Burlesque Spritz” or
“Improv Mule."
Under the pavement
Gréta’s ultimate goal is to create
an elevated space for marginalised
artists. “All of these scenes have
grown so much in the past five
years, such as the drag scene in
Iceland—it has just blown up,” she
continues. “Kjallarinn is a classic
joint––it doesn’t have sticky floors
and you don’t have to rely on tips
to actually survive working in this
field. I just wanted to do my part
to add to an already blossoming
scene.”
Whether you’re creative, queer
or just curious, take a moment to
step below the streets of Reykja-
vik into the revitalized Kjallarinn,
opening soon. Cabaret, burlesque,
drag artists and more will trans-
form the once bland basement into
a vibrant playground of entertain-
ment and expression.
See the schedule for upcoming shows
at Kjallarinn at leikhusid.is.
Culture
“I just
wanted to
add to an
already
blossoming
scene.”
12The Reykjavík Grapevine
Issue 08— 2021
A neon sign and burlesque? We're in
Cue the champagne! Oh wait, Gréta's way ahead of us