Review: Poika ja Tähti

There is no need to slap children




The City Theatre’s new children’s play The Boy and the Star will be performed in the lobby of the small stage, and there will only be two actors. However, a good team can create an entire fairytale world from the ingredients. In a small space, the viewer can empathize closely with the fairy tale.
The Star Horse is played by the City Theatre’s new actress, Bachelor of Arts in Theatre and Drama Reetta Honkakoski, who specialises in physical theatre, children’s theatre, mimicry, mask theatre and clownery. The son is Sami Uotila, Master of Arts in Theatre and Drama, who has so far been seen in adult plays at the City Theatre.
“I got excited about this play because of the director. I wanted to be part of a children’s performance that is made like for a best friend. There is no slacking off here,” Uotila said.
“At first, I was afraid that the children would eat me alive. But soon I noticed that I could do it and it was very great to perform for children,” Uotila said.
Although there are only two actors performing, there are many roles in the play. Sami Uotila, for example, also plays a circus director, a raven, a whale and a wolf. The play has a lot of movement, music, singing and dancing.
– Pretty tough performance, sweat starts to flow quickly. But the story is captivating, so you don’t notice the harshness when performing,” Uotila said.
The funny and exciting play tells a very traditional story of friendship with happy endings, but the execution is in this time. Sometimes, for example, the Boy throws himself into breaking.
“When breakdance came to Helsinki in the mid-1980s, I danced it for a couple of years in soda discos, streets and parks. Then I went to Aira Samulin’s dance school and danced for 10 years in the Step Up Dancers group. I’ve never been a professional dancer, but from those times I had a sense of movement in my back pocket. The City Theatre’s versatile repertoire also gives me good opportunities to utilise my dancing skills,” Uotila said.


The Boy and the Star is based on a storybook by Swedish children’s author Barbro Lindgren. The text has been edited and directed into a play by Swedish director, writer and theatre director Peter Engkvist. The music is composed by Ulf Eriksson from Sweden. The text has been translated into Finnish by Anneli Mäkelä, the City Theatre’s family theatre manager. The set and costumes are by Katariina Kirjavainen. The lighting is by Juhani Leppänen.
According to director Peter Engkvist, a completely new version of The Boy and the Star will be seen in Helsinki. The Finnish language has a completely different melody than Swedish, so the language gave the performance a beautiful, poetic tone. New music has also been composed for the translation of the play.
– I don’t know any Finnish. At first, a lot of energy was spent on the strange language. But sometimes the language barrier is useful for the director. When you don’t understand what is being said on stage, you can see the overall expression better,” Engkvist says.
The play, which lasts about an hour, is suitable for children over 4 years of age. It is performed in the foyer of the small stage on Saturdays at 11 am and on weekday mornings at 10 am. Tickets 6 euros.