Good Morning, Faggi is a vulnerable and hilarious autobiographical musical where a gay actor in his prime tries to understand why he suffered a sudden nervous breakdown.
He sets out on a journey of diaries, letters and memories from the past to learn the truth. Good Morning, Faggi premiered at the National Theatre of Iceland during 2021 Reykjavík Pride and went on to sell out over 100 shows and tour the country twice.
Would you mind giving us a brief insight into what your show is?
I am a middle-aged, white, cis-gendered, able-bodied, gay, Icelandic actor. The show, Good Morning, Faggi, is about my life and how I suffered a nervous breakdown recently in spite of all my privileges, in the self-proclaimed queer paradise of liberal Iceland.
It’s a musical journey where I look for answers in old diaries and letters for clues about my breakdown. On the way I encounter some hilarious versions of myself and I remember all the different microaggressions that I have suffered through my whole life, as someone who doesn’t conform to heteronormativity.
Tell us about the creative team and process involved?
The director, and co-writer, is Gréta Kristín Ómarsdóttir and our composer is Axel Ingi Árnason. We
are all queer best friends and we took about 4 years workshopping and writing the piece. It’s based on my private teenage diaries and letters between my mother and I, from when I was coming out over twenty years ago.
It often felt completely ridiculous to openly share all of my private documents with other people, especially to express them through the challenging form of a musical. But it turns out that a lot of people can deeply relate to having been an awkward teenager trying to solve life’s riddles through cringy journaling. We had a blast in the process and especially when we invited people from the LGBTQIA+ community in Iceland to staged readings of the work-in-progress. There was a lot of laughter but also tears and deep identification with the story from the very beginning.
We premiered during Reykjavík Pride 2021 in collaboration with the National Theatre of Iceland and expected to have a modest 10 show run. Two years in we’ve sold out over 120 shows and toured all over Iceland twice! So, the process has definitely been a wild adventure full of surprises!
How does it feel coming to the Fringe?
I am super excited for my first FRINGE! I have heard that it’s bonkers and so fun. I can’t wait to see different shows, be inspired and meet fellow artists from all over the world.
There are over 3,000 shows at the Fringe. So, what sets your show apart?
It is, at its core, a simple storytelling show which is painstakingly vulnerable, funny and true. I’m not sure if anyone else is making a solo musical from their childhood diaries! It’s also a new Icelandic musical with original music. There aren’t many of those around!
One of the songs from the show, a ballad called Næs (Nice), was selected as the official song for Reykjavík Pride 2022. We popped it up to a party anthem and performed it all over the city. You can find it on Spotify if you’re hungry for a preview, along with the entire score from the musical, which we released recently. It is in Icelandic there but of course, we will be performing it in English at the Fringe!
Is there anything specific you’re hoping for the audience to take away?
I’m hoping for the show to have an introspective effect on the audience – for them to see themselves through my story, humour and struggles. I’d like to move beyond the concept of ‘tolerance’ and find space for true belonging. Queer or not, we all suffer because of societal norms pushing us away from our authentic selves.
Your ideal audience is in attendance, who’s watching? Or more importantly – who isn’t there…
I really hope to meet with my global queer family. And of course our allies. I would love for people to attend who perceive themselves as queer allies – they might learn something new. And for the bigots: I love you too and please come and share the theatre space with us. You might learn something, just like I learn something from every performance.
It’s an intense month, so where you’re able, how do you plan to relax, and are there any other shows you intend to see or want to recommend?
I have a show every day at 20:45 in Summerhall so it looks like I have all day… But I know that won’t be the case since we’ll be meeting with people and seeing as many shows as we can. As I said before, I am a middle-aged man and I need my quiet time (no joke!). Me and the team have rented a little flat with a private garden that I will probably make use of. I also aim to move my body every day. Regarding shows, I will do my best to see all the original musicals and the LGBTQIA+ shows.
In your ideal world, how can we improve the world of the Fringe, of performance, and the industry?
By lifting and empowering marginalised artists who are writing and creating art. We are all a very important part of the global conversation about human rights and inclusion. We can all teach each other so much.
