Event info

He's driving an old Chrysler across the vast desert

to deliver a mysterious package...

 

Nocturnal encounters in a roadside motel
and the package itself

make him question

the very fabric of his being.

 

Filled with dark humour, a sense of magic and unexpected twists and turns, this is the story of The Pain Tapestry, written by the Anglo-Armenian writer Baret Magarian.  Magarian has published journalism in The Times, The Guardian, The Independent, The Observer, and fiction in World Literature Today.  His debut novel The Fabrications has been receiving rave reviews in America and the UK. The New Statesman said the following: "The Fabrications is big, bold...entertaining, Faustian ... it captures the absurdity of contemporary culture and society."  

 

The play will be performed by the actor Páll Sigthór Pálsson in English, and is directed by Rúnar Gudbrandsson.

 

Páll Sigthór has his roots in physical, experimental theatre in Iceland but trained and worked as an actor in the UK for a number of years. He has been a key member of The Rude Mechanical Theatre Company since 2000, touring England with their original contemporary Commedia dell'Arte productions, as well as several appearances in film and TV, including Vladimir in Icelandic childrens' TV program Stundin Okkar, down and out gangster Bjarni Bensin in Hlemmavideo and Swedish Captain in BBC's Call The Midwife.

Rúnar is a noted theatre director, actor and teacher, practising and preaching since the seventies. He has been the driving force behind experimental theatre group Lab Loki since 1992, a freelance director with a multitude of theatre companies, acting teacher at The Icelandic Arts Academy as well as the Icelandic Film School. Páll and Rúnar go way back.

 

Haukur Valdimar Pálsson is in charge of sound, lighting and visual art design for the show. An experienced film maker, editor, dancer and bass player of numerous death metal bands including the legendery band Andlát (Deceased).

 

The Pain Tapestry (La Tela del Dolore) premiered at Florence’s Puccini Theatre in October 2016 where it was sold out and immediately hailed by critics as a brilliantly compelling piece of theatre. It is currently being performed in Turin, with Roberto Zibetti in the lead role.

 

First performances in Tjarnarbíó theatre in Reykjavík on 19th  and 20th January 2018