Rúnar Freyr Gíslason is directing the work of a new Icelandic stage play, which will premiere next fall (2014), and he is no stranger to LazyTown, as he has lent his voice to the character Pixel in all the Icelandic LazyTown dubs.
“This is a very exciting project and there is a lot of pressure ahead. We still have to work hard, as this is one of Iceland’s most well-known brands,” says actor Rúnar Freyr Gíslason, who will take the director’s chair when LazyTown is staged at the National Theatre. The work will premiere in September 2014 and was specially written to mark LazyTown’s big anniversary. This year marks 20 years since Magnús Scheving wrote the book Afram Latibaer (GoGo, LazyTown), which marked the beginning of the LazyTown adventure. The story has previously been staged, 17 years ago at Loftkastalinn under the direction of Baltasar Kormákur and in 1999 at the National Theatre where Sigurður Sigurjónsson directed, and then Rúnar Freyr played Pixel (Gogga Mega).
“I have become quite attached to LazyTown because I have spoken for Pixel in all the Icelandic episodes and I have known Magnus for a long time. That is why I did not take long to agree when I was asked to take on this project,” says Rúnar Freyr and admits that he asked Magnus to jump into the role of Sportacus for the production. “He refused, as he turned fifty this year, although he now looks much younger. We are going to try out a few boys for the role.” Stefán Karl Stefánsson will play the role of Robbie Rotten as he is known for, because Stefán has played the villain in LazyTown from the beginning. Rúnar Freyr has previously directed works such as Hárið in Austurbær in 2004, Grettir in the City Theatre in 2007 and Hellisbúann in 2009.
“Kids are a demanding audience. I expect this to be a lively production full of special effects where, for example, audience participation will be encouraged. LazyTown is very well known around the world and we are thinking of staging the work abroad as well.”
Search for a new Stephanie
Special auditions will be held for young girls aged 14–20, to find a new Stephanie. Stephanie has previously been played by singer and actress Selma Björnsdóttir (1996), Linda Ásgeirsdóttir (1999), often known as Skoppa and Skrýtla, and Unnur Eggertsdóttir (2010), who has sung in the Eurovision preliminaries and hosted her own television show. Two girls have also played Stephanie in the television series; Julianna Rose Mauriello in the first two seasons and Chloe Lang in season three and four.
The girls who are considered for the role will be invited to audition on April 28th and 29th, 2014 from 12:00-18:00h.
Posted By
Singer María Ólafsdóttir puts on her pink wig because she will soon be playing the role of Stephanie. María is very excited about the role. "I find it very fun and a great honor to jump into this role of Stephanie," says singer María Ólafsdóttir, who will soon be playing the role of Stephanie in the Icelandic LazyTown live shows. Most people know María after she sang for Iceland in the ...
Hallgrímur Kristinsson, Director of Business Development and Promotion at LazyTown, confirms that there is interest in the second largest television station in China, Beijing TV, to broadcast LazyTown in that country. It is clear that the audience would grow signi...
Turner CN Enterprises (TCNE), the licensing division of Turner Broadcasting, today announces a raft of new agreements that will see a busy schedule of LazyTown live events roll out across Europe, Middle East, and Africa (the EMEA region) from 2014. As the only t...
One of the companies that have visited Shanghai on the occasion of the World Fair Expo was LazyTown. "It was a great honor to be able to participate on behalf of Iceland and actually historic to watch Chinese children move around LazyTown for the first time," says ...