Review: Once (på svenska)
The first thing to say is that in a short time, Jakob Höglund has rocketed to become one of the best directors in Finland, at least by my standards. First there was the minimalist and wonderful Sommarboken in Lillan, then came the mind-blowing Kalevala at Åbo Svenskan (which should have been seen more than twice) and then this autumn the amazing Cabaret at the Turku City Theatre. And now this musical at Once Lilla Teatern. Also bull’s-eye. It’s wonderful to see the direction in which Artistic Director Höglund, who started at Lillan a year ago, is taking the theatre. And what kind of directing work will be seen from him in the future. I’m going to watch them all.
Once was a big musical hit on Broadway and in London. Now we had a Nordic premiere in Finland. Personally, I’ve only seen the movie version released in 2007, so it’s not very fresh in my memory. The companion saw this musical version with a slightly different plot in London sometime around 2011-12 and liked it very much (and of course this one too). Once , set in Dublin, is a somewhat autobiographical musical composed and written by Irishman Glen Hansardand Czech Markéta Irglová. It was written as a play by Enda Walsh, based on a film written by John Carney. The text has been translated into Swedish by Annina Enckell and the lyrics by Tobias Zilliacus.
The play follows the progress of the complex relationship between a street musician and a vacuum cleaner boy (Tuukka Leppänen) and a girl with an immigrant background (Emma Klingenberg), who meet by chance. The boy is a bit lost with his life, his girlfriend has moved to America and their relationship is unprocessed. The girl is not completely free either, her husband has moved back to the Czech Republic and a little daughter lives at home, with her mother and the Czech community. Still, the attraction to the other is strong, and even though the end of the musical remains open, a warm optimism about everything remains. Maybe they will get each other, maybe not. In real life, the couple ended up in a relationship after the film was made, if only to break up later. Music is the glue that attracts girls and boys and envelops everything. Musical experts Eeva Kontu and Joonas Mikkilä have been involved as musical advisors.
Tuukka Leppänen learned both guitar and Swedish for the role, and both are fluent. He has distinguished himself for years as an excellently charismatic (musical) actor, and we will see him on stage this time as well. Emma Klingenberg is a stranger performer to me (I’ve seen her in Svenskan’s The Play That Goes Wrong), but a wonderfully fresh and beautiful-voiced performer. His stubborn and productive girl is a good contrast to Leppänen’s slightly stubborn son.
As a choreographer, Höglund knows how to combine body movement and movement nicely into a whole. This was also wonderfully reflected in the Kalevala of ÅST. At the heart of it all are the performers who move smoothly and smoothly with their instruments. A group of twelve people form part of the set design (what an inventive vacuum cleaner repair shop or music store!) and almost everyone is on stage throughout the performance. The actors are relaxed, unforced and sincerely cheerful as they play and sing Irish music with Czech spices. Lightly rolling melodies and sometimes wistfully wistful, sometimes rhythmically almost rocking rallies – there is room for a wide variety of music in two and a half hours. A bit of speed metal too!
Even though nothing terribly happens in the story, just vague rambling and whining about whether to be or not to be, the performance still manages to thrill. Precisely in the skilful weaving of that music as part of the performance. The choreographer’s handprint is so closely involved in everything that is done on stage.
In addition, I really liked how the little side characters get their own space and story heard. The best of these were the hilarious bank manager (Alexander Wendelin), Andrej (Santeri Helinheimo Mäntylä), who dreams of bigger careers, and the manic drummer Svec (Kalle Ruusukallio). Billy, the music shopkeeper played by Robert Kock, is also a sympathetic and lovable character even in all his darkness. I also have to mention the mildly melancholy vacuum cleaner father (Joachim Wigelius).
The selection of instruments is huge and they are also changed on the fly. And how nicely the performers move with their instruments! This group is a real multi-instrumentalist, and also good singers. Antero Mansikka’s sound design is very organic; The sounds of the sea can be produced on stage either by slapping plywood walls with your hands, or by moving the bellows of an accordion. And of course, rain can be created quite easily as well. Everything works. The lighting based on Ville Aaltonen’s colour-changing fluorescent tubes is also great.
Sven Haraldsson is clearly fond of plywood as a set material. Sommarbokenhad plywood boxes, and in the play Män kan inte våldtas in early autumn, only plywood walls, as is the case now. You don’t really need that if other things play the main role. Like here the music, the instruments and the musicians. The light plywood walls have hooks for musical instruments. Haraldsson’s costumes are also down-to-earth; jeans and flannel, a t-shirt, sweatpants and basic clothing like that. Nothing striking, nothing flashy, just the right amount of wear and tear. Relaxed.
The performance begins as if by stealth, already a quarter of an hour, when one after the other wanders onto the stage, picks up an instrument and joins in the playing and singing! From there, the events start seamlessly.
During the coronavirus pandemic, I paid attention to how much cuddling is done in the musical! Fortunately, some of this touch and warmth is transmitted to the stands as well. All in all, Once was a captivating, warm-hearted and sympathetic performance. A huge thank you to Jakob and the whole working group!