Sauðárkrókur theatre group brings Blue Planet to the stage

An amateur theatre group in Sauðárkrókur has mounted a large-scale production of Blue Planet, featuring 20 children and two adults, mbl.is reported. The show opened on October 16 to a warm reception, with 13 performances scheduled for October and early November.

“It is an incredibly brave decision for an amateur theatre group to put on a big production like Blue Planet,” director Ólafur Jens Sigurðsson said. The children in the cast are aged 9 to 15.

The stage adaptation of Andri Snær Magnason’s book was written by Bergur Þór Ingólfsson, with music by Kristjana Stefánsdóttir. The production was first staged at the Reykjavík City Theatre ten years ago. Kristjana’s music won a Gríma award that year, and songs including “Seventeen Thousand Sunbeams” were sung in primary schools across Iceland.

Sigurðsson said the production drew on the strong musical tradition in Skagafjörður. Two music directors, mother and son Sigurlaug Vordís Eysteinsdóttir and Eysteinn Guðbrandsson, joined the team. Music is a major part of the play, and some songs include three-part harmonies.

The children were told from the outset that the process would be demanding and require six weeks of commitment. They rehearsed four hours a day, six days a week. Sigurðsson said fewer children were accepted than wanted to take part, and that the schedule required considerable dedication alongside school and other activities.

He praised the cast’s effort and said the experience tested their communication skills, patience and tolerance. He also highlighted the strength of the local theatre group, which is based at Bifröst, a theatre and music venue. Sigurðsson said he hoped the group would continue its work there even after a new cultural centre is built in town.