SAAL Biennaal 2025 | Alexander Roberts, Ásrún Magnúsdóttir "Teenage Songbook of Love and Sex"

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Single tickets are available at €17/€22 until 8.08
From 9.08, prices increase to €22/€25.

Pop music and true stories about youth, sex and gender.

Working with teenagers from Reykjavik, Iceland, the Teenage Choir of Love and Sex sing songs they have written themselves based on their own romantic and sexual experiences. In this musical show, the young people themselves take the floor about love and sexuality. Each time, local peers join the Icelandic choir to write and sing songs with them. In this melodious ode to the coming-of-age love and sexuality are represented in all forms and colours.

They sing for themselves and each other. They sing for love, curiosity and heartbreak. They sing for every virgin, every slut and every thirsty bitch – so they never need to feel alone again.

Teenagers and music are made for each other. The songs we listen to in our youth, and the stories they tell, determine how we come to understand ourselves and the world around us, separating right from wrong. But what if all heteronormative pop songs were about something different? Based on stories told by youths, Teenage Songbook of Love and Sex seeks new ways to talk and think about love, gender, and sex.

Ásrún and Alexander have been working closely and intensively together for a number of years on a range of different dance and performance projects. Their focus as a duo has been on stretching the dominant modes of dance and performance, and developing work in collaboration with people whose voices are often lesser represented. Their collaborations take different forms, spanning from co-authors, to choreographer and dramaturg, as well as artist and curator. Together they have made works with teenagers, residents of a housing block, as well as performance situations for people’s houses, among other things.

Their work has been well received at home and abroad – with a number of awards and nominations here in Iceland – as well as invitations to a growing number of venue and festival contexts in europe.

In the Tallinn version the Icelandic choir will be joined by local performers on stage: August Amor, Freddy Sillmann, Mona Karoli Kuris, Karolina, Kaseväli, Freya Gross, Aleksandra Kena, Karmen Šalk, Maria Maas, Hanna-Maria Johanson, Janete Paat, Mariete Paat, Tuuli Torop, Marie Piirimees, Karmen Huberg, Katariina Lahe, Loore Koppelmaa, Karl Artur Mäss, Miisa Mai Vürmer, Loreta Kaljas, Meriliis Topper, Heli Piht.

Ásrún Magnúsdóttir is a choreographer that has a lot of experience working with people from all kinds of backgrounds and experiences – with a lot of experience making work with and giving workshops to professionals and amateurs alike.

Alexander Roberts' work as an artist is concerned with giving the stage to others and creating the conditions for their voices to be heard. His curatorial work currently involves Artistic Directorship of Rosendal International Theatre (formerly Avant Garden), Trondheim, Norway. Alexander was Co-Director of Reykjavík Dance Festival (2013-2020) with curator Ásgerður Gunnarsdóttir and Teenagers in Reykjavík (an initiative started in 2014 that focuses on redistributing curatorial agency to young people in the city).

Concept and Creation: Ásrún Magnúsdóttir and Alexander Roberts
Musical direction and composition: Teitur Magnússon
Co-authors and performers: Lísbet Sveinsdóttir, Marta Ákadóttir, Salóme Júlíusdóttir, Ísafold Kristín, Katla Sigurðardóttir Snædal, Kolfinna Ingólfsdóttir, Oliver Ali, Uloma Osuala, Una Barkadóttir, Karen Nordquist Ragnarsdóttir, Egill Andrason, Haukur Guðnason, Hanna Gréta Jónsdóttir, Sverrir Gauti Svavarsson, Karólína Einarsdóttir, Anna Bíbí Wium Axelsdóttir, Þór Ari Grétarsson, Monika Lárusdóttir, Fannar Árni Ágústsson, Chisom Osuala.
Choir-conductors: Sigríður Soffía Hafliðadóttir and Aron Steinn Ásbjarnarson

Premieres: Meteor Festival, BIT Teatergarasjen, Bergen, Norway and Reykjavík Dance Festival, Tjarnarbío, Reykjavík, Iceland.
Co-produced by: BIT Teatergarasjen, Teenagers in Reykjavík, Reykjavík Dance Festival, the Nordic Residency Platform, NORDBUK and apap - Performing Europe 2020 which is co-funded by the Creative Europe Programme of the European Union

Duration: 55’
In English

Contains references to sexual abuse and self-harm/suicide.

The performances are accessible by wheelchair. If possible, please let us know in advance if you are coming with a mobility aid!
The performance on 29.08 has Estonian sign language translation.