Playwright found his path after four rejections from arts university

Playwright Hafsteinn Níelsson discovered his true calling after facing repeated rejections from acting programs. Níelsson had always aspired to be an actor and applied to the acting program at the Iceland University of the Arts four times without success.

Undeterred, he shifted his focus and applied to the Stage Writing program at the same institution. Despite initial doubts, he found that this new path was where he truly belonged. During his second year, Níelsson collaborated with Ólíver Þorsteinsson to write the musical 'Ormstunga'.

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No is the new yes, as some say, and especially five nos, they somehow grow into something very positive, at least as far as I'm concerned.

After its initial performance within the university, the National Theatre of Iceland acquired the rights to 'Ormstunga'. The musical has since become a major hit on the theatre's main stage this past winter. Níelsson reflected on his rejections, humorously noting that "five nos" eventually led him to his current success, framing the rejections as a catalyst for his positive turn.

Níelsson shared these insights during a recent appearance on Dagmál, where he discussed the creation of 'Ormstunga', Icelandic sagas, and other topics. He recounted how his experience of being rejected by the university inspired him to create a play about that very experience, which he then staged at the university itself.

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They were five, yes. That is, four nos first and then I went to the Stage Writing program and then I went for auditions again. But that was for a play in the Stage Writing program. I wanted to create a play about being rejected by the Iceland University of the Arts and stage it at the Iceland University of the Arts.