Review: Rakastunut Shakespeare

Review: Shakespeare in Love is certainly one of the brightest diamonds of the theatre year

The Helsinki City Theatre’s interpretation of a 90s film is funny and seductive.

William Shakespeare is one of the most important writers of all time, but how did his bestsellers come about?

The 1998 film Shakespeare in Love tells the fictional story of the birth of Romeo and Juliet. The Finnish premiere of the theatrical version was seen last week at the Helsinki City Theatre.

Shakespeare (Heikki Ranta) is in a tight spot. Writing does not go smoothly, but he is required to write the following script from many directions. By chance, she finds a beautiful muse for herself, but Viola de Lesseps (Miila Virtanen) is destined to marry another man.

Viola, who loves theatre, defies the law by dressing up as a man and joining a theatre troupe that performs Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet. At that time, it was not appropriate for a fine woman to go to the theatre, let alone get on stage. Viola’s identity is revealed to William, and the couple fall in love so powerfully that it can be felt in the audience. But like the story of Romeo and Juliet, these young lovers are also heading towards a sad end.

The performance is thoroughly polished, not a single line has been left unpolished. The viewer shudders in their seats with laughter, but tears of emotion are also close.

There are no underachievers in the cast, but even small supporting roles stand out. Special mentions deserve the ostentatious but wise Queen Elisabeth I (Helena Haaranen), the easy-going rower (Kai Lähdesmäki) and Viola’s beloved nurse (Heidi Herala).

Fourteen-year-old Luca Elshout plays a street boy so intensely that one can well imagine a glorious career in the theatre. At the beginning of the play, Heppu the dog, who spins around on stage, steals the hearts of the audience.

The Helsinki City Theatre’s sets are traditionally stunning, but this time the massive, wood-looking structures exceed even the harshest preconceptions. With the help of a rotating stage and ingenious sets, an unimaginable number of different spaces can be conjured up on the stage, from Viola’s bedroom to the royal banquet hall. The costumes also shine like the queen’s jewels.

The theatre year has only just begun, but I still dare to say that Shakespeare in Love is one of the brightest diamonds of this year.