Review: Prinsessa Ruusunen

BUSTLE OF CHARACTERS AND TWISTS

Helsinki City Theatre’s new version of the classic fairy tale about Sleeping Beauty, who fell asleep for a hundred years, is a major investment in children’s and family theatre. Katariina Kirjavainen’s costumes and other settings are stunning in their perfection. An effect world of lights, sounds and clouds of smoke takes the viewer to the enchanting world of a fairy tale.

The students of the Circus School Bravuuri in Kymenlaakso, led by Konsta Nakov , surprise with their skilful acrobatic acts. The premiere audience was delighted with the first applause only shortly before the intermission, when the circus scene started and seven-year-old Aino Sormunen was able to show off her solid flexibility.

The cast includes first-class artists, including small roles. Sanna Majuri is a sweetly beautiful princess and, above all, she acts well. Reidar Palmgren as a boy experiencing a fantasy adventure succeeds in the same way and offers an object of identification if he wants to intervene in the course of the fairy tale. Jari Pehkonen’s funny king father is top-notch comedy acting, and Reetta Honkakoski’s touchingly beautifully executed animal characters are both fascinating and frightening. Sakari Männistö juggles skillfully, even on a ladder, and is the proudly handsome Unicorn.

It is a pleasure to watch the presence and concentration of a large group of actors. Jyrki Nousiainen’s comprehensive mimicry, the funny troubadours of Jarkko Rantanen and Matti Rasila , and Matti Olavi Rani’s difference in several roles stand out nicely. Pekka Laiho is the narrator of the fairy tale, a wise old man whose benevolent twinkle remains in the corner of his eye, even though the events of the play are concentrated elsewhere. Indeed: especially the male actors do a good job.

But then, when you start looking for something to say under the consistently successful acting, the whole thing starts to fall apart. The external setting and content of the fairy tale are in completely different worlds! Anneli Mäkelä , who is in charge of the Helsinki City Theatre’s family theatre, dramaturg and director of the performance, has constructed the story technically correctly, according to some theoretical children’s theatre model. However, there are so many characters and twists and turns that the whole thing slips into a mess at times. How can a primary school child keep up when even an adult who has taken university speed reading courses wakes up lost?

Sleeping Beauty is based on a Disney production. The format of the commercial entertainment industry prioritizes big-money technology that is known to please the eye of the majority. It is not meant to sink into the mind or stay.