Review: Poika ja Tähti

IMAGINATIVE FAIRY TALE PLAY

It is rare for the poor critic to wholeheartedly like a performance. The City Theatre’s new children’s play Poika ja tähti (The Boy and the Star) is such a rare event. Everything fits nicely: the script, the direction, the actors, the décor, the lights and, not least, the music.

Barbro Lindgren’s tale of how a boy and a horse are born the same night and each have a guiding star has been given a worthy dramatization. The well-known Swedish director Peter Engkvist has proceeded carefully with the original and built up an illustrated short story with subtle, imaginative mimicry and musical elements. They are simple enough for young children, yet without the sometimes annoying protective attitude that stands when adults make art for children. The production is basically based on classic performing arts means, where the actors are at the center of the events. Reetta Honkakoski and Sami Uotila succeed excellently in their diverse tasks. They use simple props. What it comes down to is their skill in creating imaginary images, in illustrating the text. The task is extremely demanding, not least considering the target audience, but both plastically, musically and audiovisually, the couple is absolutely captivating.

Anneli Mäkelä had done a very good translation and editing. What bothers me when adapting texts from other languages to Finnish is the need to translate names into Finnish. It is a historical tradition that goes back to Agricola (for example, jalopeura (noble deer) for lions because there were no lions in Finland) and which in terms of drama is intended to make it easier for the audience to identify with the play. In today’s Finland, especially in the capital, where every kindergarten has children from all corners of the world with the most diverse linguistic backgrounds, it is outdated. Children learn from an early age that not all Finnish children have genuine Finnish names. They live more in time than adults.

I would especially like to mention the fine music, which instead of being just an accompaniment, became an organic part of the whole. A lovely detail was a toy piano with two and a half octaves in range and a surprisingly good sound. Ulf Eriksson had not succumbed to the usual loud pop music, which no child is considered to be able to do without, but contributed with some simple lyrical themes.

The play is best suited for children over the age of three or four. It was clear that the few smaller children, who sat in the auditorium, could not really cope with the 50-minute performance. Otherwise, I can only add that I enjoyed the performance – and so did all the other children.