Review: Lainahöyhenissä

We are what we are

Helsinki City Theatre’s glittering musical comedy overcomes prejudices.

The Helsinki City Theatre’s Broadway success, the musical comedy La Cage aux Folles, is not only about feathers and the sparkle of sequins and diamonds, but also a real lesson in tolerance. Located in St. Tropez on the French Riviera, the “cage of madmen” is a sinful nightclub where men dance dressed as women with Georges (Pertti Koivula) as their boss. The number one star of the place is drag queen Albin (Santeri Kinnunen), who has lived with Georges for 20 years and raised his son halfway, and everyone knows him by his stage name Zaza.

Even though the musical has its superficial side – and it is a spectacular one – a strong common thread running through the performance is that love is love – whether the lovers are young and beautiful, already a little wrinkled and have seen their most flexible days, or straight or gay. The gestures, facial expressions and movements of the performance have been visually fine-tuned to the last detail under the direction of Neil Hardwick . You leave the auditorium in a good mood.