Atlantica - 01.05.2002, Qupperneq 62

60 A T L A N T I C A
Table on the Lagoon
Searching for a place to eat? Look no further than the Blue
Lagoon. That’s correct. Not only is the Blue Lagoon Iceland’s
premier tourist attraction, but the Blue Lagoon Spa Restaurant
was recently voted as one of the world’s 50 best by the British
magazine Restaurant.
You’re probably thinking that any restaurant featured in a top
50 of some posh magazine must be expensive. You needn’t
worry. Bring your swimwear, take a dip in the Lagoon’s sooth-
ing, mineral-rich water, then relax with a fancy meal that won’t
max out your credit card. EW
i-site THEATRE AND RESTAURANT ❍
The Saga of Gudrídur is a one-woman play about the trials and
tribulations of an Icelandic woman, Gudrídur Thorbjarnar-
dóttir, who sailed the wild seas around the turn of the tenth
century, the Viking era.
In search of a better life, she was determined to get to Vinland
(America) after she heard about its rich and fruitful bounty
from Leifur the Lucky, who, according to the Icelandic sagas,
discovered America five hundred years before Columbus. In
her search, Gudrídur encounters powerful forces of nature,
has to work her way through a patriarchal world, and fights her
own soul towards full comprehension of Christianity in a hea-
then world. Gudrídur, who certainly played a meaningful role
in shaping Iceland’s heritage, is searching for a better life and
a higher meaning, and is, in that respect, someone in whom
we all can relate.
The play has toured Europe, the USA and Canada a number of
times and received excellent reviews. According to the Irish
Times, the play is a "MUST SEE". Adding to the prestige, it has
been covered in National Geographic, a rare accomplishment
for a play. Now, for the first time, The Saga of Gudrídur will be
performed regularly in Reykjavík, right in the city centre at
Skemmtihúsid (The Actors Studio), Laufásvegur 22, just oppo-
site the American Embassy. For further information, contact
the Tourist Information Centre, Bankastræti 2, tel: (+354) 562-
3045. The Saga of Gudrídur is written and directed by the
renowned Icelandic director and playwright Brynja
Benediktsdóttir and performed in English by Thórunn Clausen,
a talented young actress educated in London at the Webber
Douglas Academy of Dramatic Art. The performances will run
every Thursday, Friday and Sunday at 8:30 p.m., starting 6
June, 2002.
Heritage and Human Nature
The Saga of Gudrídur is a story about one woman's quest for a better life, one with a higher meaning.
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