Review: Lumikuningatar/ Shed

Children’s theatre is made with a big heart at Studio Pasila – the Snow Queen of the children and young people of the Shed Musical Theatre talked about the level of expertise of these theatre enthusiasts – The magnificent aesthetics of the performance made even the old man’s eyes moisten

The Snow Queen by the Helsinki City Theatre and the Shed Music Theatre was an exhilarating experience. And not just for the relatives who were nervous for their own in the stands at Saturday’s premiere. The energy of young theatre enthusiasts and the joy of performing took even such an old man back into the magic circle of theatre.

The children and young people of Shed musical theatre also show that the performances of theatre enthusiasts have something very unique and unique at their best. Sincerity, freshness and the joy of performance, the joy of existence, already mentioned above.

An ensemble consisting of theatre enthusiasts also has one strength that professional theatres can usually only dream of: crowd power. More than 70 children and young people have been involved in this production. Half of these children and young people aged 10-19 were on stage at the daytime screening on Saturday. Double casting has ensured the well-being of children and young people and, of course, above all, that all members of the group get to perform.

That’s what I assume.

Director Heikki Sankari and choreographers Pauliina Aladin and Jyri Numminen took advantage of this rare resource in their work. The crowd scenes were more spectacular than each other. The movement language of the dances gave rise to real collective bursts of energy in this group. There was also at least enough singing power.

In the Shed group, theatre is obviously practiced in a very goal-oriented manner. The high level of competence could be heard in the speech technique of these young people. You could make out every line of dialogue, as well as the lyrics of rap-inspired songs. Rapping in Finnish is a real skill for both the lyricist and the performer of the song.

At the Helsinki City Theatre, children’s theatre is made with the right attitude. Let’s offer the best that comes out of the stuff. This state of mind can be seen in the list of authors of the performance’s programme. The compositions and arrangements of the songs of the Snow Queen were made by Tuomas Kesälä, who also acted as the conductor of the orchestra consisting of five musicians. The scenography of the performance (set design and videos) has been designed by William Iles, the lighting has been designed by Teppo Saarinen, the sound by Jaakko Mäkinen, the stunning costumes by Laura Dammert and the camouflage by Henri Karjalainen. The Snow Queen was played by the role model of many young people dreaming of an acting career, the actress was the thousand-talented Vappu Nalbantoglu.

The Snow Queen is based on H. C. Andersen’s familiar fairy tale. The arrangement was made by Janne Puustinen. Puustinen’s adaptation and the direction of The Hero emphasised the fairytale-like nature of the story.

In old folk tales, the authority of the parents is often at the heart of the story. The troll will take you if you go into the forest without permission, or the goblin will catch a child who has lost his way playing on the lakeshore. An adult can also read Andersen’s fairy tale as a story about the chilling consequences of unlimited autocracy. Right now, the Kremlin has one of the most chilling frost lords of all time.

Puustinen has put friendship and its opposite, loneliness, at the thematic forefront of the story, which, according to studies, has also increased among children and young people. At the heart of this fairy tale was now the idea of hope and a new beginning. There is not and will not be a winter so gloomy and freezing that spring will not come again.

According to the script, The Snow Queen is suitable for children aged six and older in terms of its themes and their treatment. I watched the performance with nine-year-old Eino and he understood well the points related to the interaction and group dynamics of the performance. In his own class, Eino also found an example of how bullying can also be a bully’s cry for help that he cannot find the emotional bond needed for a genuine friendship with other people his age.

Eino, who recently saw and experienced The Little Mermaid at the Helsinki City Theatre, also liked The Snow Queen. The show’s stunning final was especially praised.