Review: Kadonnut Pihlaja

“WHEN THE CHILD DISAPPEARED AND WAS FOUND AGAIN”

Peter Engkvist’s direction enchants again, regardless of age

Anyone who remembers The Boy and the Star from the Helsinki City Theatre a year and a half ago, which spoke to viewers of all ages, should now head to the same place.
In the foyer of the small stage, a mysterious forest with its adventures has grown. There are harrowing undertones, hilariously animated characters and a happy ending. And the same director, a Swede
Peter Engkvist.

Wales-born Mike Kenny’s The Lost Rowan is a universal story about a nomadic father and his daughter who disappears.
A weighty message has been implanted in the formula of the traditional fairy tale: parents may both abandon their children and protect them in a way that even good intentions turn against them. Only by swallowing his pride, asking and forgiving will a father get his daughter back.
The theme varies in many ways. The seasons, directions and elements change when the father meets a bird, a frog and a mole on his search trip, all of which help.


Children’s Theatre Wizard Peter Engkvist conjures up dizzying leaps in time and space on the stage, and with seemingly simple means, he brings to life sometimes a tree, sometimes a fire. Of course, this would not be possible without excellent actors, whose mimicry, flexibility and ability to throw themselves into the performance lives on.

Sari Haapamäki and Sami Hokkanen play great roles. The staggeringly funny scene, in which Hokkanen plays both a brooding man and a baby bird breaking out of its shell, is not easily forgotten. Neither is Haapamäki’s serious little mole, who doesn’t want food or rock, but closeness.
These two actors have everything a story needs.

Elina Kolehmainen’s forest set design is beautiful and excites the imagination, and Juhani Leppänen’s lights create new dimensions in the landscape, tinged with secrets.


The play’s humane wisdom, warm humour and uncompromising execution are good for entire families, although it must be said that its story is not quite as good as the Son and the Star . The same methods are used in pantomime, echoes of positive music and the starry sky.