In the news: Liv Ullmann is here to scout around for locations to shoot a film she’s directing, based on a novel by Icelandic golden boy Ólafur Jóhann Ólafsson. Never heard of him? Well then how about Olaf Olafsson? No? Okay, well, I’ll tell you more about him tomorrow and you can bet that it won’t be nice.
But getting back to Liv: the film in question will be shot in Iceland and is to star a Famous Young Oscar-Winning American Actress Who Currently Lives In London. It’s all very hush-hush and they can’t tell us who it is, but since they’ve told us just about everything else there is to know about this Famous Young Oscar-Winning American Actress Who Currently Lives In London [except perhaps that she’s married to a successful rock star who himself is a Bigtime Iceland Fan], I’m putting my money on Gwyneth Paltrow. But don’t tell anyone because it’s all very hush-hush.
AND SPEAKING OF FAMOUS ICELAND-LOVING BRITS
Those oh-so fantabulous artistes from the Vesturport theatre troupe, who took London by storm last year with their amazing acrobatic Romeo and Juliet, announced today that they’ve persuaded Nick Cave to write music and lyrics for their current project, a play which will be performed first here in Reykjavík and then at the Barbican in London. Asked how he managed to bring this about, the extremely cool Gísli Örn Garðarsson [aka Romeo] informed Morgunblaðið that he simply got on the blower, dialled Nick’s number and asked him.
AND ANOTHER ONE…
Eric Clapton is here, on his annual Iceland salmon fishing trip.
AND ALSO…
Viggo Mortensen. But not for salmon fishing, just for hanging out in cafes as usual. And yes I know he’s not a Brit. Which is why he has his own separate heading [jeez].
MEANWHILE, THE WEATHER IS
This is getting a bit too dull and dreary for my taste or anybody else’s for that matter. Overcast and showery day after day after day. The evening news yesterday reported that all package trips to sunny locations are completely sold out and waiting lists grow longer by the day. Sick sick sick of this faux summer, I tell you. Current temps are 11°C and the sun came up at 03.35 and will set at 23.30. Incidentally, don’t forget to observe the two-minute silence at 12 noon London time tomorrow, Thursday. Peace.