Review: Fanny ja Alexander
In the play Fanny and Alexander, good and evil, light and darkness are in conflict with each other
Ingmar Bergman’s beloved film Fanny and Alexander , which has grown to legendary proportions, will now be impressively staged on the big stage of the Helsinki City Theatre.
The director, Paavo Westerberg, who adapted the text, prepared the performance for a long time, and everything that has happened in the world over the past couple of years has certainly influenced his interpretation of the story. Good and evil, boisterous hedonism, the pleasures of life and puritanical harshness are in conflict in the play. Just like they do in real life.
Fanny and Alexander is not a fairy tale, although it has many magical elements and mysticism. The interpretation of Westerberg and his magnificent ensemble is a cornucopia in which many touching themes can be found. Bishop Vergerus’ mental and physical domestic violence is not the least of them, and when it is exposed against the boisterous lifestyle of the Ekdahl family, the contrast between dark and light is very clear.
There are no child actors in the title roles, as in the film. They are now played by Olavi Uusivirta and Elena Leeve. Both roles have sensitivity and a strong presence. Alexander’s growth from a stubborn little boy towards adulthood is interpreted in a shocking way in the scene where the bishop violently beats away the boy’s sin.
From the large ensemble, a few roles rise above the rest. Helena, the progenitor of the Ekdahl family, is one of the forces that holds the story and, of course, the whole family together, and Rea Mauranen is a charming and calmly present wise woman in her role. Jouko Klemettilä, who plays the mysterious, gentle Isak Jacob, brings hope for the victory of good to the stage in his scenes. Emmi Pesonen The role of Ishmael is played by a mysterious and at the same time impressive figure.
In addition to Fanny and Alexander, the most demanding roles are played by Eero Aho and Anna-Maija Tuokko, who once again shows what a talented actor he is. In recent years, she has excelled in theatre, film and television in many ways and is now playing a harrowingly strong role as Emilie. Eero Aho is a brutally tough Vergerus in his attempt to control his wife and her children. The scenes between him and Anna-Maija Tuokko are the most demanding in the play, and both act as if they were on the verge of blood.
The play has not been staged in the early 1900s, with the exception of a few scenes in which Rea Mauranen is dressed in the spirit of the time. Antti Mattila’s set design takes the viewer to different rooms that reflect well the mental atmosphere of each scene.
Modernization does not take away the effectiveness of the presentation, and the only critical comment concerns the duration of the presentation. Three and a half hours is quite a session, even though the story progresses quickly.