‘The Investigative Report’ – the play
Next Monday, ‘the report day’, the City Theatre, Borgarleikhusid, known for fabulous productions of classics such as Chekov and Shakespeare (now showing i.a. ‘Faust’ with music by Nick Cave written for Borgarleikhusid’s production), will bring to the stage its hitherto most unique production: the long awaited report of the Investigative Commission.
On ‘report day’, as soon as the report is published, actors will start reading it aloud continuing till the last word is read. It will take theatre’s 45 actors approximately 3-5 days to read the ca 2000 pages. The reading will be divided into shifts of 2-4 hours where two actors take turn reading the text.
During the reading time, day and night, the theatre will remain open and free for all. Those who can’t come can follow the reading via webcast on Borgarleikhusid’s website. According to the theatre’s press release the idea is to create a kind of sanctuary where people can drop in, listen and reflect on the report’s ‘topics, its content and the causes’ of the collapse of the three Icelandic banks in October 2008.
With this public reading Borgarleikhusid is underlining the importance of the report, impatiently awaited by the whole nation and possibly the most important Icelandic event for decades. The report won’t be dramatised – the drama is the text itself – but the theatre’s aim is participating in the national conversation that the report will no doubt create. Borgarleikhusid has already staged two plays reflecting the collapse of the banks one of which will be performed at the theatre-festival in Wiesbaden.
Icelanders are great at turning things into events – I’m sure that next week will be a special week in Iceland. Icelanders will no doubt mark the publication of the report in many ways though Borgarleikhusid’s event might easily be the most spectacular one.
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