Review: Pieni merenneito
The Little Mermaid takes the viewer to a beautiful undersea world
Helsinki City Theatre’s musical The Little Mermaid is big by many standards. According to information received in advance, the musical in question is the largest financial investment the theatre has made in its history. I have to admit that you can see it.
The musical, which premiered last Thursday, looks and sounds like a Disney cartoon. The story is familiar, although there are exceptions to the famous animated film released in 1989. The basic principle of the story is the same from the time of the original story by the Danish H.C. Andersen: love, difference and the conflicts that arise because of them.
The little mermaid Ariel (Sonja Pajunoja) longs for human life, but her father, King Triton (Mikko Vihma), is against humans. While rescuing Prince Erik (Martti Manninen), who is in distress at sea, a love story begins that drives Ariel to a desperate act with the help of the magic of her evil aunt Ursula (like Sanna Saarijärvi, who has been assigned to this role). But, as is often the case in Disney’s versions of famous stories, in the end, good triumphs over evil and love triumphs over differences.
Technically, the play is dazzling in places. The audience gets to witness the famous magic of theatre with a big pen from a vantage point in the auditorium.
The great investment is visible. The underwater swimming scenes are so believable that I was certainly not the only one in the audience who held their breath thinking they were underwater. Especially Erik’s distress at sea where Ariel rescues him, which I touched on, is surely one of the most beautiful stage images ever seen on the stage of a theatre.
Utilising the latest theatrical technology, camouflage and costumes that respect its original models but are suitably detached from it, the well-functioning choreography and Samuel Harjanne’s direction that bundles them all together make Helsinki City Theatre’s The Little Mermaid one of the most talked-about works of the theatre autumn.
On stage, we see one finer and more exhilarating character than the other, including the hilarious chase scene of Tuomas Uusitalo’s chef and the crab Sebastian (the excellent Tero Koponen), who watches over Ariel with him. We also laughed at the seagulls dancing during the song Posetiivisyys/positiikkisyys with a travel companion even on the way home.
Expertise from the Salon region on stage
In the ranks of the Little Mermaid, there are also interesting things to see from a Salo point of view. Actor Peter Nyberg, who has a background in Salo, was able to join the production through a traditional audition, which was held in the spring of 2018.
Reached after the premiere, Nyberg exudes satisfaction when asked about his current feelings.
“I feel relieved. Of course, it is tiring when you have long and hard weeks of training behind you, but the feeling is great, Nyberg says.
Peter’s journey with the Little Mermaid has been long but rewarding. A few months after the audition, he was informed that he had been accepted into the production. At the same time, it became known that Peter is acting as a so-called “understudy” for Martti Manninen, who plays Prince Erik, in other words, a place for Manninen if necessary. There will be some appearances in the role of Erik, the first of which will be in the daytime performance next Saturday.
“I found out about it as soon as I heard last spring that I was involved in the production. I applied for the production not only in the ensemble but also in the role of Erik,” Nyberg says.
The themes of The Little Mermaid’s story make the actress think about things more deeply.
“The themes of the story are rebellion against the assumptions and molds set by society, longing for a world that one cannot be a part of, and not belonging to one’s own body. They mean a lot to me. The story has its important and extremely touching features, and its milieu alone strikes a chord with a seaman like me,” Peter ponders.
Nyberg, who made his directorial debut at the Vuohensaari Summer Theatre of the Salo Theatre last summer, dares to reveal the only thing that is certain about his future, which will also be in Vuohensaari next summer. We still have to keep quiet about things that work as an actor.
“However, I dare to reveal that there will be acting work in the 2020-2021 season.
The Little Mermaid has sparked a lot of discussion. According to Peter, the feedback has been incredibly great and it is worth praising it.
“The performance is a comprehensive spectacle that is rarely seen even in the international field. You don’t want to miss out on this underwater fantasy world.