Review: Jenny Hill
The image of a middle-aged woman, Jenny Hill, radiates on the stage of the Helsinki City Theatre
At the beginning of the Jenny Hill play, actress Sari Haapamäki looked very familiar. He had the same hairstyle as I did in the stands. Her beautiful silk blouse and poplin half-skirt were the same color as the majority of my wardrobe, beige. I thought, oh my gosh, am I Jenny Hill?
The play is based on Minna Rytisalo’s novel Jenny Hill, which we read in our reading circle right from the start. Minna Rytisalo is in an exceptional situation, as a play based on her book Lempi will also be performed at the same time on the Small Stage of the Helsinki City Theatre.
Beforehand, I wondered how on earth Jenni’s journey to Jenny Hill would be carried out, as the book delved into Jenni’s life in several time planes and included many Ajatars, i.e. familiar fairy tale characters, as well as Madame Brigitte Macron. But don’t worry, Henna Piirto’s dramatization and Liisa Mustonen’s direction brilliantly brought Jenny Hill’s core to the stage!
The plot of the play followed the plot of the book. Jenni, who is almost fifty, divorces her cheating husband, with whom they have two adult children together. Jenni has adapted to everything, taken care of the home and children, put the needs of others before her own. He simply doesn’t know how to say no or resist at all.
Jenni is looking for herself, but she finds it difficult to figure out how on earth she can be selfish and decide on her own affairs. The therapist advises you to write letters. Jenni chooses Brigitte Macron as her target, as Madame has had the confidence to leave the father of her three children and team up with a young man of her children’s age.
A great performance as Jenny Hill
Sari Haapamäki, who plays Jenny, said at the theatre’s Christmas porridge that it was easy for her to identify with Jenny’s character. This can also be seen in the audience, as it is hard to imagine how Jenny could have been better on stage than Sari! She was really in her role all the time, so incredibly believable as a kind, nurturing, weak and also empowered and independent Jenni.
Sari said when we talked at the time that “you have to be true in the role, you can’t act funny, but the fun comes from tragicomedy.” He and the entire ensemble of the play succeeded very well in this. I told my theatre companion during the intermission that it was wonderful to see how much fun the experienced female actors had in the play. For once, they really get to air the female roles!
The timers, i.e. Snow White, Sleeping Beauty, Cinderella, Kerttu, Rapunzel and Little Red Riding Hood, were Aino Seppo, Sanna Saarijärvi, Vappu Nalpantoglu, Merja Larivaara, Elina Hietala and Ursula Salo. The thinkers explained that they were not really like the princesses in the fairy tales we were told, but much more reckless and independent. There is much more to them than beauty and waiting for a prince. Jenny also needs to be more energetic and the Ajattaret are trying to convey this thought to Jenny’s mind. I’d also like to shout encouragement to Jenny from the stands, because it’s so harrowing to watch her just go along with it.
“If no one is looking, does it even exist?”
Minna Rytisalo’s wise text came into its own on stage. Jenny’s lines had an awful lot of grip and I believe that the Jenny Hill play will not leave anyone cold. The tragicomic nature of Jenny’s life situation comes out captivatingly, among other things, the messages to Brigitte Macron, played by Merja Larivaara, are hilarious. Many little hooks hit, sink and make you smile, for example, when a daughter says to her mother Jenny: “I don’t want black to become like you, mommy servant!”
All in all, Jenny Hill provided an excellently enjoyable theater evening. Its female perspective is realistic and loving. We left the theatre in a good mood and – perhaps I can say – empowered! We warmly recommend it especially to adult women, and also to smart men.
P.S. The male roles in the play are played by Rauno Ahonen and Sauli Suonpää.
Review in Kirsi’s Book Club blog.