Review: Keijukaisneuvos Koo

Fairy Counsellor Koo is like a living fairy tale

Why are the days of the week always in the same order? Who decides it and what happens if the familiar order is disturbed?

This is discussed in the dance play Keijukaisneuvos Koo by the Helsinki City Theatre and Helsinki Dance Company. It presents seven fantasy creatures representing different days of the week.

Video image complements the narrative

The music creates a strong atmosphere, and the set design gets the imagination going. The movement of the dance carries the story forward with flying power. The video image projected on a small screen from time to time complements the narrative. Studio Elsa’s compact space is well suited for the performance.

The charm of music and movement

Keijukaisneuvos Koo is recommended for viewers over 5 years of age, but there were also younger children in the premiere audience. There was plenty of eye candy in the events on the stage, so that even the youngest could sit still throughout the one-and-a-half-hour performance. The ten-year-old fellow viewer was struck by the performance. The adult was amazed by the dance version of the boxing scene in Charles Chaplin’s classic film, which is embedded in the story.

The children’s favourite was clearly the most mischievous of the days of the week, Saturday (expressive Jenni-Elina von Bagh). Towards the end, the action on stage became almost acrobatic.

Points for the fact that the performance does not underestimate the patience of child viewers. People trust the attraction of music and movement – and that’s more than enough.