Review: Kuka lohduttaisi Nyytiä?
Dumplings comfort us
Helsinki City Theatre: Little So and So Cabaret and Who Would Comfort
Dumplings? Dramatization: Lena Fridell and Birgitta Ulfsson, translation: Kirsi
Kunnas, direction : Birgitta Ulfsson, sets and costumes: Ann Granhammer, composition:
Erna Tauro, Cajsa and Niklas Roman, conductor: Lasse Hivi, lights: Mika Ijäs
and Vesa Ellilä, voice: Ari-Pekka Saarikko, cast: Reidar Palmgren, Mari
Vainio and Milka Alhroth.
Tove Jansson’s picture book Who Would Comfort Nyyti? is delightfully
a melancholy tale of friendship or love, of timidity and fear,
You can win when you open your heart and find a friend. It is visually
A superior work with plenty to look at and explore for the little reader
for many moments. And for the big one.
From this story, Birgitta Ulfsson and her team have succeeded in creating Tove
A play that looks like Jansson.
The play is preceded by a fun interactive little cabaret in which Reidar
Palmgren, Milka Ahlroth and Mari Vainio introduce and sing Erna Tauro
familiar Moomin-themed songs. But they also discuss with child viewers
put themselves on the line and improvise according to the children’s stories. They
perform ingenious, even familiar, “magic tricks” in their simplicity.
They are supported by two musicians.
The most important thing is that they are fully engaged in doing what they do, asking,
listen, interpret and check that it went right.
They manage to capture everyone in the stands with tiny
with improvised tableaux. It is due to the dedication of the actors and
professionalism.
An old acquaintance Nyyti
The intermission is then followed by an actual play about the timid Nyyti. Here’s what we did:
The night before, my daughter and I reviewed the story by reading a book about a long
time. And now it hit me in a whole new way. Friendship and timidity for a six-year-old
and fear are topical topics.
So it was easy to follow the story in the theatre. But the play does not require
work in advance. It works on its own, too.
It worked so well for us that we had to read the book the same and the next
again in the evening.
Lonely Dumpling leaves her lonely house to escape the frightening nights. He
goes around, tours, goes around the world, meets characters, but doesn’t dare to translate for them
and especially not to open up the conversation. Eventually, he finds a message in a bottle,
sent by an even more fearful and timid creature, Tuittu. Nyyti is interested
and not least the fact that Tuittu is a girl. Nyyti leaves Tuitu
search.
Actors breathe life into life
Birgitta Ulfsson has directed the world of sensitive seer Tove Jansson
City Theatre. The set designer has respected the illustrations in Jansson’s book and
I’ve been following it very closely. Even images are copied directly into the play
book. The characters are also built following Jansson’s idea closely. Child
recognizes the world of the book.
Even though the author of this staging is largely the late Tove Jansson,
it is brought to life by the actors. Reidar Palmgren is in his whole being
timid, but encouraging little Nyyti. Mari Vainio is a storyteller who changes
Snufkin would be intensely generous. Milka Ahlroth is more subdued
as a serious Tuittu, more tearful as a cabaret singer.
Ulfsson has directed his inventive in an amusing way and Ann Granhammer has set the
Large and small elements of a toy trailer that look impressive in their simplicity
silk fishing net. The colour scheme is gloomy, but it has colourful
points.
Nyyti’s story is not just a play for children. Its benevolent and warm
The world creates a joyful yet comforting
a calm mind. If you can’t go to see a children’s play otherwise,
It is worth borrowing a child from somewhere as a theater company.