Review: Rakastunut Shakespeare
Shakespeare in Love / Helsinki City Theatre
The film Shakespeare in Love, which won seven Oscars back in the day, is part of the Never Seen series, but for some strange reason, I was very excited when I heard that it was coming to the Helsinki City Theatre’s repertoire and saw the poster images. Now we are going to see hot looks and a fire of emotions, and the romance department has been conspicuous by its absence, at least in the performances I have seen. I’ve also managed to avoid love-themed movies quite well, and maybe that’s why I haven’t seen this movie either – I guess the syrupy rush is a bit scary, if there was one to come. That my inner romantic wouldn’t wake up, jestas at least!
Now it’s been almost a week since I saw the play and I feel like I’m having trouble writing. I also want my own muse that would inspire me to do even better and more energetic performances, or should I get a quill pen and change the format completely? Besides, when you think of the Sheikkispeari in Love, Olavi Uusivirta’s song Love in the Air immediately starts playing in your head and your thoughts go off to other tracks. “Take a deep breath, now there is love in the air”. That song could start playing at the point when Will Shakespeare (Heikki Ranta) meets the charming Viola Maiden (Miila Virtanen) for the first time at the ball and the looks are so good that you feel a little jealous in the audience. Lord Wessex (Mikko Vihma), who wears the most handsome hairstyle of the evening, immediately puts on black socks, as the maiden has already been promised to him as a wife with the Queen’s blessing and it doesn’t fit that more than one piler appears on the same plot, if you can say so. You have to get rid of the rival suitor.
Well, on the other hand, Shakespeare’s writing is a problem when a new fun play should be prepared but it just doesn’t start. Nothing is created under pressure, it has been noticed in this direction as well, so I can feel the man’s pain. At least the name of the play is ready, Romeo and the daughter of someone-famous sailor (and you have to have a dog with you, everyone likes that). Then we start working on it with a rather mixed cast of actors – men in women’s roles, of course, because at that time women were not seen on stage under any circumstances. You just can’t find anyone suitable for the role of Romeo, despite the auditions, until the phenomenal Thomas Kent arrives and the job is done. Who is this mysterious young man? Well, of course, she is Viola de Lesseps, a great admirer of Shakespeare, dressed as a man and relying on a loose moustache, but the truth will only become clear at a later stage.
With the help of his colleague and friend Kit Marlowe (Tuukka Hut eiku Leppänen), Will, who is up to his ears, recites sonnets to the girl under the balcony and his enthusiasm for writing takes off from an oh-so-wonderful, but forbidden love. Romeo and Juliet begins in a fascinating way, and the scenes are rehearsed as the text is created. However, the funny play turns into a tragic love story. It is also fascinating to follow the activities of the theatre company, when the venue of the upcoming play has to be changed on the fly (and the script sheds even more light on these theatrical patterns and real people).
The warm color scheme both in the clothes and on the whole stage attracted my eye immensely, and this was quite eye candy anyway, men in dresses and buns. Special points especially to Jouko Klemettilä, Unto Nuora and Petrus Kähkönen for these visions…
Brisk music in the spirit of the times, the knowledgeable Queen Elisabeth I (Helena Haaranen), fencing, dog – and especially a lot of kissing. I was reminded of when I was watching the SKAM series (I’m a great target group) and sometimes I almost had to get some lip balm when my lips chapped just thinking about it, let alone watching it. Now the same thing almost happened, but for some reason my left hand went numb towards the end (maybe this was too much for my heart?) and I would have dropped lip balm on the floor anyway.
And the couple in love is wonderful now! The chemistry meets, and you don’t have to wriggle over too much syrupiness either. Needless to say, Heikki Ranta is a perfect choice for any role. Such presence has rarely been available, and now we have enough of it. So let’s enjoy! I also have to mention the veteran Rauno Ahonen, who opened my eyes to with the play The Funniest Man in Finland. My companion whispered in the middle of everything “that pulls like Jussi Jurkka” and there was no way to get rid of that image, and the appearance of Fennyman on stage already made me giggle.