Caro Meets Theatre Interview

Jon Gun Thor: MacBeth of Fire and Ice

By TW Editorial | Published on Monday 4 November 2013

A new production of ‘Macbeth’ heads to London’s Arcola Theatre this month; one that, drawing on the director’s Icelandic roots, is influenced by Norse mythology, and promises a fast paced, high energy and dynamic telling of the classic tale, set against the raw brutality of the Vikings, the Valkyries’ legendary powers of persuasion, a mystic forest covered in Nordic lights, spewing volcanic eruptions and hissing hot springs…

We thought that sounded pretty intriguing – not least because we’re always interested by a twist on a classic – so we sent some questions over to the man behind it, Jon Gun Thor.

CM: Everyone knows the story of ‘Macbeth’, but it sounds like your show takes a rather different approach – would you call it an adaptation? Have you changed/added to the original text?
JGT: I would not see it as an adaptation, as I kept the original text (although substantially cut) and with the addition of a Scandinavian poem called Völuspá to open the play.  I would find it silly to change Shakespeare’s text, as he is one of the world’s greatest playwrights.  However, I find different ways of presenting the text, for example some of the text that was cut is shown through physicality.

CM: The show is infused with Norse mythology – why did you find that to be a good fit with the story of ‘Macbeth’? Is mythology something you have a particular interest in?
JGT: I am Icelandic and due to my cultural background I interpret ‘Macbeth’ with the assistance of the Northern myths. Of course, it is unlikely that it was Shakespeare’s intention to make references to the Norse mythology; however, it is through Shakespeare’s influences and myself as a reader that this link exists. In fact, Shakespeare’s own point of reference for the story of the play was the second edition of ‘Holinshead’s Chronicles’ from 1587, which in turn frequently reference Northern myths.

Holinshead wrote ‘Macbeth’ as a historical tale from the North of Scotland, Orkney. It takes place in the 10th century and is influenced by one of the Icelandic Sagas, the Orkneyinga Saga, which was written around 1230 by an unknown Icelandic author. As it was generally the case with Icelandic writing of this period, the saga is as much a fictional story as a historic document. It is these links that fascinate me; it makes the story of Macbeth a great tale that I can easily relate to and link Icelandic folklore and the ancient tales of the gods Thor and Odin.

This is not the first time that I used Norse mythology in my work.  My play, ‘The Deacon of the Dark River’, is based on an Icelandic folklore that I adapted into a play using Norse myths, such as the Norns and Yggdrasil.

CM: How have you gone about adding the Norse elements to the play?
JGT: The Norse elements are found in the characters, our set and in the music. For example, when I analysed the text of Macbeth I asked myself: ‘Who are the Weird Sisters? Where do they come from?  Why are they the keepers of the sea and land?’

In ‘Macbeth of Fire and Ice’, the Three Weird Sisters are the three Norns, the Northern goddesses of fate: one for the past, one for the present and one for the future.  They group around the tree of life, Yggdrasil, and weave the web of fate. This web of fate is part of our set, weaving its way above the audience’s head.

CM: An exhibition of images of Icelandic scenery from an award winning photographer will be on show at the venue. How did this come about, and what do you think it adds to the theatre-goers experience?
JGT: Macbeth is an epic play with lots of references to nature. You could stage the play in a million pound production where the set fills the epic story with a nature of volcanic landscapes, hot springs and ‘an earth that has bubbles as the water has’. In order to reach this point we have the exhibition of  ‘fair is foul and foul is fair’ as the scene setter for the play.

As soon as you enter the Arcola to get your tickets, you are surrounded by the landscapes that create the surrounding of Macbeth of Fire and Ice. The photos of Ragnar Thor Sigurdsson have been with me for a long time, and the idea for this project came through conversations with him, because Ragnar is one of my best friends and my father in law.

CM: You’re a writer of plays as well as a director. Which element of the process do you enjoy most?
JGT: The process of one leads to another: The purpose of writing a play is to direct it and work with the actors to bring the story to live. So what I like most in the process is working with the actors. Writing is a preamble that always leads for me to directing.  I like directing good stories and creating a world by using the magic of theatre.

The plays that I have written have all been done in collaboration with actors and a creative team. I like the ensemble work, to devise a piece together is something I’m very fascinated by. I’m far from perfect, like everyone else, but many minds together bring a story to life, and for me, that is theatre.

Directing Shakespeare is a similar process. No one can have all the answers to the questions that Shakespeare asks, but somehow it is all in the text. It’s a puzzle, I’m quite good in putting it together but I need the ensemble to finish it with me.

CM: Do you plan to take the show on elsewhere after its London run?
JGT: There are no definite plans yet but it would be fabulous to tour the show in the UK or be part of one of the European Shakespeare festivals.

CM: What other projects do you have planned?
JGT: Next, I will be directing a new Irish play by Amy Conroy called ‘Alice and Alice’ at the Akureyri City Theatre in Iceland. Then just looking forward for the future with my fiancé and daughter.

‘MacBeth of Fire and Ice’ is on at the Arcola Theatre until 16 Nov. See the venue website for info and tickets.

LINKS: www.arcolatheatre.com | facebook.com/JonGunThor