Review: Yökyöpelit

Night Owls is the most absurd and
A celebration of intelligent children’s theatre

The small stage of the Helsinki City Theatre is taken over by strange creatures that sneak around at night, tireless night owls. It is a pleasure to watch children’s theatre, which has been made without sparing skill and ambition. The joyfully twisted world of the performance does not shy away from difficult questions or look for easy solutions, but trusts the child’s intellect, imagination and humour.

Based on Laura Ruohonen’s popular poetry works Allakka Pullakka and Yököpeli, the musical play directed by the playwright herself will charm lovers of absurd and anarchic poetry on stage as well. The costumes and set design of illustrator Erika Kallasmaa , known from Ruohonen’s poetry books, conjures up a living form for both the locations of the poems and the imaginary characters.

The wit and smooth pace of Ruohonen’s words and rhythm, Kallasmaa’s visual world, Anna-Mari Kähärä’s beautiful, inventive and nuanced music, and the deliciously acting and skillfully singing performers create a captivating and comprehensive work of art that amused and pondered both child and adult viewers for a long time to come.

The age recommendation is for children over the age of five, but there is still plenty of humour and excitement for much older people. For the very youngest members of the family, over two hours, the not scary but exciting verbal and visual fireworks can be quite a hefty package.

Nibbler
Longing for home

Strange things are happening in the House of Night Owls. Someone has gnawed holes in water pipes, eats cars and homes woven from wool yarn to shreds. Agent Nero Naru, who is stinging his best and played flexibly by Martti Suosalo , has to take up the matter.

The hunt for a nibbler develops into a loose story, but above all, the performance is built on a spontaneous logic, in which new situations emerge as a kind of free association with previous moments and characters.

The captivatingly infuriating Baby Rabbit (Vuokko Hovatta ) in his sovereignty keeps his tired-stunned parents (Emilia Nyman and Tuukka Leppänen ) on a leash, and the resourceful, albeit bloodthirsty, Grandma Päätai Väätäinen, played charmingly by Seela Sella , is called in to help.

In the midst of the nitpicker hunt, we come across Ivan, who suffers from an endless thirst for life and hunger, Mr. Cuckoo who takes care of the eggs laid here and there by his wife, Imulimaa, who emits green shots and dreams of a bride, and the bird choir of the Uppsala Student Union, who performs the handsome Jamo cantata at the sociable Uncle Saku’s party.

Finally, the enigmatic and acrobatic nibbler (Katja Kortström ) is found and she is able to return to her home beyond the stars accompanied by the music of the spheres. Pure theatrical magic.