Helgur, son of Johannes

Helgur’s father Johannes has a revelation: three terrible events await his son. But instead of obeying his father and keeping himself safe, Helgur decides to assert himself and open up to the world – until …

Centred on a father and son who run a funeral home, this chain of strange events is charged with pitch-black humour, eventually spiralling into the dimensions of an ancient tragedy. It is intended for audiences who appreciate provocative and non-normative themes.

Tyrfingur Tyrfingsson (born 1987) is currently the most internationally recognised Icelandic playwright. His play Helgur, Son of Johannes (Helgi Þór rofnar) won the Icelandic Play of the Year Award in 2020. To date, the play has been translated into English, French and Polish. Helgur, Son of Johannes marks Tyrfingsson’s debut on the Estonian stage.

“There is something deeply tragic about handing your story over to someone else – be it your parents, the legal system, or a psychiatrist who slaps horrible diagnoses on you: ‘You are bipolar,’ ‘You are an addict,’ bla bla bla. These imposed stories eventually start to define who you are – and that is precisely where the tragedy lies,” Tyrfingur Tyrfingsson said when introducing his play.

Premiere: December 12, 2026 – Harbour Theatre