Review: Oscar ja Mamma Roosa

Beautiful, light and painful

Oscar and Mamma Roosa is a performance where both humour and sadness cleanse

Eric-Emmanuel Schmitt: Oscar and Mamma Roosa. Translated by Reita Lounatvuori. Directed by Eija-Elina Bergholm. Set and costumes by Sari Salmela. Choreography and dance by Jyrki Karttunen. Lights and projections by Kimmo Karjunen. Sound design by Harri Ahponen. Actress Kristiina Elstelä. Finnish premiere at the Helsinki City Theatre 11.5. Evaluation of the 13.5. performance.

Eric-Emmanuel Schmitt’s monologue play Oscar and Mamma Roosa deals with a subject that is usually kept quiet: the serious illness and death of a child. And on the other hand, the child’s incredible ability to be an optimist and a philosopher: To get to the heart of things, ease difficult situations with insightful humour, and live through emotions pure and without explanation.
The driving force of the story is also the strong friendship between two people of different ages and the desire to help each other.

Kristiina Elstelä has had a seemingly impossible task ahead of her. During the two-hour performance, he has to carry through two characters who are complex and profound in their humour. Another ten-year-old Oscar, who is dying of leukemia, and another friend and supporter, Mamma Roosa, who has reached a mature age, as well as a number of other hospital patients, doctors and parents of children.

The dialogue is so short and fast that the so-called hat-swapping technique is not possible. In other words, the performer must transform the character’s inner self into something else at lightning speed, without seam. Attitude towards the world, other people, age, basic tempo – the whole being. Kristiina Elstelä is uniquely skilled in this sport. He does everything with small external means, but takes each complex character through as independent and, above all, authentic and recognizable.

Eija-Elina Bergholm also makes use of Jyrki Karttunen’s video-projected dance in her direction. It contributes airiness and associative elements to the performance, although at times it slightly distracts the attention point as large projection figures move on both sides of the live performer.
Sari Salmela’s scenography beautifully emphasizes the loneliness of a person when faced with difficult things.

Oscar and Mamma Roosa is a beautiful, profound and humorous performance that is worth watching with a good friend. And then go through the cries and laughter experienced in the audience together. Just in peace.