Review: Pieni merenneito
Helsinki City Theatre’s large-scale production has already received praise before its premiere. The investments in technology, costumes, set design are really high. Will the stage adaptation and Finnish translation of Disney’s classic film redeem its place as one of the musical events of the year?
I had nostalgic feelings to come and see the film with my goddaughter, as The Little Mermaid is the first feature film I’ve seen on the big screen. For my goddaughter, this was not the first time in the theatre, but it was on the big stage of HKT, so I could sense a bit of the same feelings as about 30 years ago.
THE LITTLE MERMAID is a work painted with a big brush on the big stage of the Helsinki City Theatre for the first time in a long time, and perhaps for the first time, it also reveals to the audience the potential of the technology that was renewed in connection with the renovation of the theatre building, which was completed a couple of years ago.
The play progresses with the precision of an atomic clock in terms of technology, lights, sound, music and acting, thanks to the musical god Samuel Harjanne, who has nevertheless skilfully preserved genuine humanity and Disney’s magical fabledness in the work. This is really captivating!
Based on H.C. ANDERSEN’s classic fairy tale, the story is carried by Alan Menken’s familiar tunes and ten new songs composed for the musical – and yes, Under the Sea will be heard.
Eye candy is provided by the Rococo-inspired costumes designed by Pirjo Liiri-Majava , which live as if embraced by ocean currents as the actors move. Peter Ahlqvist’s magnificent set design is complemented by video projections designed by Toni Haaranen , which blur the boundaries between where the set ends and the projection begins.
The flying developed by Flying by Foy also sounded grandiose when heard beforehand, but forbid – have such wild and yet soft flight scenes ever been seen on Finnish theatre stages before? The illusion is perfect: Ariel really swims across the stage completely weightless.
DIVING INTO THE WAVES will be joined by Ariel, played by the strong-voiced Sonja Pajunoja , as the handsome Erik, HKT’s new reinforcement Martti Manninen, who is familiar to the Tampere audience. The most delicious offerings of the evening are served by Sanna Saarijärvi as the horribly lovely Ursula and Mikko Vihma, who plays her brother, the handsome King Triton. Not forgetting Ariel’s fishing friend Splash, whose roles alternate between young talents Valo Eklund, Lenni Kallela, Alek Pèrez Lahtinen and Samuel Vihma.
The captivating Sebastian puts his scissors into the broth in a successful symbiotic relationship between the actor, Tero Koponen and the puppet. Paavo Kääriäinen Kiero and Antti Timonen’s Liero slither their way into the hearts of the viewers as sleazy scoundrels. Behind the magnificent doll figures are also the top professionals of the British company Stitches and Glue, who are familiar from the characters of the Star Wars films.
The Little Mermaid ensemble, which fills the stage, also takes the lead role in many places. Whether it’s the titillating Sebastian’s kitchen scene or the captivating songs of the Ariel sisters. All this will be rhythmized by a 13-piece orchestra conducted by Risto Kupiainen.
I LIKED THE WORK immensely, but what did the clearly more critical viewer of the evening think: my goddaughter? Both Kiero and Liero received a lot of praise as well as the terribly cute Splash! Ariel’s amazing aerial acrobatics had also made a great impression on the young viewer.
The adventures of the Little Mermaid are sure to delight young and mature audiences. One of the most anticipated theatre openings of the autumn, the play set the bar high, as expected.