Stroke

Stroke tells the true story of actress Virginia Gillard, who worked as a professional clown in Scotland before suffering a stroke. The devised piece uses Virginia’s charming clown persona, Cookie, to explore her personal journey with apraxia, the inability to complete tasks, and aphasia, the inability to speak. Cookie is accompanied on stage by the tender stagehand clown It, played by Sæmundur, Virginia’s husband. Together, they tread between humor and pathos, highlighting the absurdities and challenges of navigating life after a stroke.

Through a mix of physical theater, poignant storytelling, and visual elements, Stroke offers a unique, thought-provoking exploration of disability and resilience, engaging audiences with both its emotional depth and creative approach.

Virginia couldn’t turn on a tap, she couldn’t comb her hair, didn’t know how to do dorknobs or anything. Just had to completely redo that in the first few months. And that was funny. We laughed.
— The clown It from Stroke

Artistic team


Author & performer

Supporting performer & co-author

Virginia Gillard


Sæmundur Andrésson

Directors & co-authors

Andrea Elín Vilhjálmsdóttir & Kara Hergils


Set and costume design

Brynja Björnsdóttir



Music

Ingibjörg Ýr Skarphéðinsdóttir

Nominations

  • Gríman Icelandic Theater awards 2024

  • Gríman Icelandic Theater awards 2024

  • Gríman Icelandic Theater awards 2024

E.H. National Radio

“Virginia as Cookie is hilarious. […] Stroke shows us that we don’t have to fix our people, we can fix the circumstance they live within"”

⭐⭐⭐⭐ S.J. Heimildin

“The entire artistic direction is made up by effortless quality”