Review: Uusi Eden
Helsinki City Theatre, Helsinki
New Eden , a co-production of the Helsinki City Theatre and Q Theatre, premiered on 5 February. Studio in Pasila.
It is a musical tinged with black humour, written and directed by Juho Mantere. The music is composed by Henri Lyysaari.
The plot of the new Eden in brief
A global nuclear war has swept across the planet, but by a whim, a small theatre in Pasila and its staff have escaped destruction. When the theatre people’s previous professions lose their significance in the post-apocalyptic world, they start building a new life under the guidance of their resourceful caretaker.
On the ruins of the old theatre rises a community that they name the New Eden. They swear not to repeat the mistakes of the past, but it soon becomes clear that paradise is not perfect either.
Sonja, a former acting student, still dreams of a role she never got, and ex-pizza driver Petteri dreams of a love that remains unattainable. Meanwhile, the caretaker who has become the leader of Eden has a secret that could bring down the entire community.
In theatre and love, all means are allowed, but where is the line when your own survival and belief in a better tomorrow are at stake?
Love and harmony
Few musicals start with a nuclear explosion, but that’s how the New Eden is born. The book contains a lot of different metaphors and witty wording. One of the main characters is pizza delivery man Petteri, who is an orphan. He has been taking care of himself for nine years, until Eden’s leader Mother finds him in the ruins of Tripla and brings him to the theatre as a workforce. Petteri and Sonja quickly find common ground and the end is sealed.
Beneath the lightness of the new Eden hides a topical message. The book has strong similarities with the way things are going in today’s Finland, when the appropriations for art and culture are being driven down for the sake of the “most important” things. However, everyone’s soul longs for more than just work!
The New Eden is also a statement about values, can an autocrat ignore moral values only in the name of the common good? And if there are counter-voices, how will they be dealt with in a civilized society?
The work is also a story about love, whether it is between a parent and a child or a couple. And about how far you are willing to go for love or lack of love.
The music of the work is brilliant and the singers’ voices sound harmoniously in harmony like on Ultra Bra’s albums. Many thanks to Henri Lyysaari and the band!
Costume designer Riina Leea Nieminen is also praised for her imaginative costume design, which is a combination of elements familiar from apocalyptic films, today’s street fashion and Shakespeare-style accessories.
Review in the Himomatkajan turinoita blog.