Dramaturgs form the theatre’s programme planning team together with the Theatre Director. Helsinki City Theatre has three dramaturgs. The theatre’s artistic design team comprises three set designers, a costume designer, lighting and sound designers, and a music arranger. They work closely with each production’s director, conductor and choreographer. The artistic designers begin their work once a production has been approved. For major productions, the design process may begin more than a year before the premiere.
From idea to stage
Helsinki City Theatre presents around 15 premieres each year across its five stages. The programme features drama, comedy, farce, musicals and children’s productions. The diverse programme is planned by dramaturgs Ari-Pekka Lahti, Sanna Niemeläinen and Henna Piirto together with Theatre Director Kari Arffman. The programme of the theatre’s dance company is curated by its Artistic Director.
The dramaturgs seek out new works by reading plays and novels and discussing ideas, themes and interesting artists. Writers and directors also approach the theatre with ideas and scripts. If an idea is a good fit for the theatre’s programme, it is developed for the stage together with the creative team.
The dramaturgs also keep up with interesting work being created internationally and read the latest plays from abroad. Their work includes seeing productions at other theatres in Finland and, whenever possible, abroad.
“The key requirement for a dramaturg is the ability to recognise a good text when it comes along. You have to find the gems among all the scripts,” Lahti says.
According to Piirto, one of the best parts of the job is receiving a truly excellent and original play to read: “A great text never fails to inspire.”
“When planning the programme, it’s really important that we are genuinely excited about every choice we make!” Niemeläinen adds. “When the creative team is enthusiastic, it also comes across in the finished production.”
The programme is planned around two years ahead. Some flexibility is nevertheless needed so that the theatre can respond to unexpected changes and topical issues. The aim is to strike a balance between contemporary themes and classic subjects.
“If a script is good, it has something profound to say. Beneath the surface, it often explores major themes and timeless questions, even if the story itself deals with something topical,” Lahti adds.
The programme is created for audiences. “We try to think about what interests and moves the many different people who live in Helsinki and Finland,” Niemeläinen says.
In addition to planning the programme, all three dramaturgs are assigned to individual productions. During the writing stage, the production dramaturg supports the playwright by reading and commenting on drafts of the script at various stages.
During the production stage, the dramaturg assists the director with questions concerning the text and the overall dramaturgy of the play. The dramaturg attends rehearsals and discusses what they have seen with the director.
“During the process, the creative team may become blind to certain details. That’s when the dramaturgs act as an extra pair of eyes. We know the work, but we can still view it from a slightly more detached perspective,” Piirto explains.
“As a dramaturg, you are constantly helping others through every stage of the theatre-making process,” Lahti continues. “It’s a pleasure to come to work in the morning. Theatre is like a playground for adults where we get to play.”
“And it’s indoors, too!” Niemeläinen says with a laugh.
‘Inventing’ a set is design in its purest form
It is often said that a set is a proposal for how a production should be directed. The final set design is the result of collaboration.
“A set design contains a vision for the production’s overall aesthetic, and that goes far beyond its appearance,” says set designer Antti Mattila.
“The set creates action on stage,” adds set designer Katariina Kirjavainen. Mattila and Kirjavainen are two of Helsinki City Theatre’s three resident set designers. The third is Vilma Mattila.
“Our styles are very different. It’s an advantage for Helsinki City Theatre to have artists in-house who create such distinctive stage designs,” Kirjavainen says.
“I’m a passionate colourist and particularly interested in children’s theatre. At a theatre of this size, however, there are opportunities to realise a very wide range of creative visions.”
“For my part, I don’t see it so much as a means of self-expression, but as problem-solving,” Mattila says. “Although I’m the one who creates the problem in the first place. It might be an artistic problem connected to the themes of the text: how can the scenography offer a new angle that makes it interesting? Or it might be a practical problem, as in farce: how the hell do you make it work in this particular space, where do the doors go, and how do you fit everything on the stage?” he laughs.
Every production begins with a design phase involving the director.
There is an enormous range of possibilities for staging a production.
“The discussion begins with the themes and the aesthetics of the production. There is an enormous range of possibilities for staging a production. A lot of it is based on intuition, which is exciting because it is design in its purest form,” Mattila says.
A scale model is then made from the design, followed later by technical drawings for the workshop. The scale model is an important tool for the entire design team, which at this stage includes the director, costume designer, lighting designer and sound designer. Practical considerations such as sightlines from the auditorium are also examined. Once the theatre has approved the design, it is passed on to the workshop for construction.
“People may not always stop to think that the set hasn’t simply been physically built—someone also had to design and invent it!” Mattila says with a laugh.
Read Antti Mattila’s birthday interview on the Helsingin Sanomat website
For Kirjavainen, it is important that theatre is an art form rooted in a particular moment in time. A performance takes place in front of an audience at a specific moment, and the stage design must communicate with that audience.
“The aim is always for a production to engage in some way with what is happening in Finland and around the world. My children are currently between 22 and 30 years old, and I try to keep up with how they see the future. The way future generations perceive the world is always fascinating.”
Mattila agrees.
“I try to take in this world as broadly as possible. I observe reality and look for material. Ultimately, truth is always stranger than fiction.”
The costume designer visualises the play
At around the same time as the set designer, the costume designer begins working with the director.
“I’m the one tugging at the director’s sleeve, saying we need to have a meeting right now! The publicity photos will be taken soon, and I need to know what the character is supposed to look like,” costume designer Elina Kolehmainen says with a laugh.
The process begins with a discussion with the director about what they are creating: what the script is about, what style they will use and which aspects they want to emphasise. Kolehmainen first picks out the clearly defined elements in the text, such as the time and place, and whether the story is fact or fiction.
“I’m always looking for the parameters, but I’d like to break free of that a little and just make art!”
Having also worked extensively as an actor, Kolehmainen’s design process involves putting herself firmly in the performer’s shoes. She says she begins to inhabit the role and visualise the play in her mind.
“In costume design, everything always begins with the protagonist. The others provide the accompaniment. With each of them, I consider how the character appears through the protagonist’s eyes. Are they provocative? What adjective best describes them, and what is their relationship to the protagonist?”
Particularly in large productions, there is a great deal of collaboration with the other artistic designers. The final result must form a carefully considered stage picture.
Ultimately, the costumes are only finished once the lighting is ready.
“Ultimately, the costumes are only finished once the lighting is ready. Only then can we see how each costume looks under different lighting,” Kolehmainen says.
The costumes are also discussed with the actors, which Kolehmainen considers extremely important. After all, a costume is one of their tools, and an actor must be able to trust what they are wearing.
“Communication skills are essential in this job. The more we discuss things, the better the final result feels, even if it isn’t exactly what I originally had in mind.”
When the designs are passed on to the wardrobe department for production, Kolehmainen continues to discuss them with the dressmakers and tailors, particularly when it comes to choosing materials.
Work on a single production may take up to six months. Things can become particularly hectic as the premiere approaches.
“This job is about learning to live with chaos!” Kolehmainen says with a laugh. “It only starts to fall into place right at the very end.”
When you work with passion and intensity, it can sweep you along. That is why it is also important to step back from time to time.
“I’ve been doing this work for 20 years. Sometimes you have to let go. You can’t only give—you also need to receive.”
She considers collaboration with the other artistic designers extremely important. At its best, the team enters a state of flow, with everyone completely in tune.
“That’s the loveliest thing about this job: there is always someone to talk things through with! Even when we make compromises, it still feels good because we know we are all heading towards the same destination.”
