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Huom! Poistunut ohjelmistosta!
Cast: Santeri Kinnunen, Vappu Nalbantoglu, Marjatta Raita, Esko Roine, Eero Saarinen, Asko Sarkola, Satu Silvo/Riitta Havukainen, Pekka Strang/Petja Lähde
Translation: Reita Lounatvuori
Director: Neil Hardwick
Set design: Hannu Lindholm
Costumes: Sari Salmela
Lights: Markku Penttilä
Sound: Harri Ahponen
FARCE AS GUARANTEED WORK Take a big pot, throw in two sixty-year-old comedy masters, Asko Sarkola and Esko Roine, director Neil Hardwick, a bunch of competent supporting actors, and drag comedy in the spirit of Piukat paikat to spice it up. That’s what it was supposed to be, so in that sense, the sure bait of the Helsinki City Theatre’s upcoming Christmas party season, Diivat, is a piece of precision stuff. Its purpose is to entertain and laugh one hundred percent, and it can be said that the performance is mostly successful. The tuning phase of the first act is, however, slow and iron-bending at times, director Neil Hardwick could have put a little more forss into the farce, if the writer Ken Ludwig has really been stuck that much. But once we get going, then we go and there is a real battle for the legacy of the widow Florence Snider, who is tormented by the bullying of a Tuscaloosa, in which lies and seduction, deception and naivety are the tools of the game. So much to laugh about In general, there is no point in explaining the plot of farces, such a messy tangles they always are, even though miraculously at the end they open up to a common bliss, where even those who have burned their fingers calmly settle for their fate.The basic pillars of Divas are exactly right in this sense. What can be explained now is that the primus motors are two British actors who are harping on to Shakespeare’s classic scenes, and who, on a tired American tour, are presented with an opportunity not to take advantage of.The inheritance of the age-old manor owner awaits two missing relatives, who are unfortunately named Maxine and Stephanie, not Max and Steve, as the actors first realize. But there is a need for professionalism when our heroes dress up in women’s handles and go to the hall division. Of course, there are others, such as the greedy and closed-minded pastor Wooley from the small town of Tuscaloosa, Dr. Myers, aka Dr. Death, who seeks dividends through his son’s love affairs. In these settings, we go on, we run at doors, misunderstandings are caused, complicated and shortened as much as we can, and of course, men dressed as women fall head over heels in love with beautiful young women. (By the way, Sari Salmela’s costumes already have funny touches in themselves.) That’s how it goes and you can squeeze laughter out of it, sometimes by squeezing it in a concrete way.
Lue lisääEXHILARATING AND COLOURFUL COMEDYColours and a colourful scenography cavalcade are the most noticeable elements in the Helsinki City Theatre’s premiere play Diivat. With the exception of the train scene at the beginning, the entire comedy takes place in the same living room-like space, similar to the play Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf?
Lue lisääAsko Sarkola and Esko Roine run a dizzying drag show in Ken Ludwig’s play, directed by Neil Hardwick. The dizzying and mindless intricacies of the farce are solved with skilful acting. Satu Silvo shines as a genuine woman on stage. Despite its dubious reputation, farce is a true masterclass skill. When it fails, the concoction is horrible bush theater, when it succeeds, it is exhilaratingly masterful entertainment. Director Neil Hardwick knows with decades of experience which strings to pull to make Finns laugh. Ken Ludwig’s play Diivat , which can be seen at the City Theatre, also meets expectations thanks to its virtuoso actors. There is no shortage of professionalism, as by chance there are up to three theatre directors on stage. Asko Sarkola HKT, Esko Roine TTT and Pekka Strang, Lilla Teatern. FARCICAL SOUP COOKBOOK Farce works according to certain almost mathematical laws. There is a rule that requires a man to dress as a woman. From one century to the next, the change of identity has been seen as comical, and the trick also offers the actor opportunities for stage action. Misunderstandings and falling in love due to appeal to us viewers. The divas also have a hefty dose of Charley’s aunt and Tight Places. The second rule is foolhardiness out of love or the lust for money. Performing art on the brink of disaster also makes the Divas laugh. On the plot level, Diva is just as crazy as it should be. We live in 1950s America. Leo Clark (Esko Roine) and Jack Gable (Asko Sarkola) are ringed actors who make a living by recycling the TOP 10 compilations of Shakespeare’s productions. Success is not easy, the cash drawer is empty and the constant travel is tiring. The duo’s brain, the money-hungry Leo, gets a wild inch from a newspaper advertisement. The millionaire of a nearby small town, Mrs. Florence (Marjatta Raita), has died, and now they are looking for missing relatives to divide the property. It’s just a shame that the legal heirs are women and the other is deaf-mute. A little thing for the brilliant Shakespeare actors, that is, towards the test. The millionaire’s house is hosted by the affectionate and sincere Meg (Satu Silvo) with her groom candidate Duncan (Santeri Kinnunen). Duncan is a priest who waits with his tongue out for the money that belongs to Meg. The plans change when the long-lost, strangely scrappy relatives, Maxine and Stephanie, arrive. They immediately hear the “good news”: Florence is not dead, but is fighting for her life with the special help of her doctor (Eero Saarinen). The soup is almost ready. To spice things up, the doctor’s tall loser son Butch (Pekka Strang) and his cheerful girlfriend Audrey (Vappu Nalbantoglu) are thrown in. The concoction will begin to bubble. Role-playing, misunderstandings, foolishness with costume changes and the charms of falling in love follow one another. Mr. Shakespeare himself gets his share in the form of Epiphany, which runs through the Divas as a kind of subtext. THE TASTY SPICES OF THE SOUP Of course, there is something great about the fact that the General Director of the City Theatre is seen on stage dressed as a woman. Would one of Helsinki’s main theatres join in on such a political statement? Of course, there are other things to eat for the eyes and ears at Diivot . The pompous set design designed by Hannu Lindholm is bathed in Markku Penttilä’s caramel lights. In the train scene at the beginning, a split train really bursts onto the stage. Harri Ahponen’s soundscape roams sounds and hits from Bing Crosby through Peggy Lee to Nick Cave. The costumes designed by Sari Salmela offer opportunities for genuine theatre madness with a livree outfit. Even the bold manual offers beautiful pictures and a great comic-like training diary. The warm-toned humor hit has been invested in very well. Hardwick’s direction is relaxed and permissive, but requires a precise sense of rhythm from his actors. Of course, the veteran gentlemen Asko and Esko are in a class of their own here. Humour is born from a combination of charm, arrogance and virtuosity. Both actors shine with the power of their charisma with slightly familiar tricks. Sarkola, who flaunts in her flamenco outfit, is downright beautiful. I listened with concern to the rough and pressed voices of both heroes. I wouldn’t want such gentlemen to have vocal cord surgery. Of the rest of the group of men, Santeri Kinnunen in particular makes a great guy as a grumpy priest. Eero Saarinen is also doing well as a lewd doctor. Ken Ludwig’s favorite character has obviously been Meg. When we talk about the real women in the play, Satu Silvo does a brilliant job as Meg. Sincerity, listening, accuracy of timing, everything works in Silvo’s work. In Silvo’s interpretation, Meg’s dream of acting and hunger for life also gets a touch of the tragic tone that the performance needs.
Lue lisääDIVAS AT THE HEART OF COMEDYThe Helsinki City Theatre’s Divas follow the structure of Shakespeare’s comedies. In the play, written by Ken Ludwig , the introduction of the beginning is followed by the actual beginning. The problems of the protagonists grow in a tangle of relationships, where male and female roles are mixed and confused. Couples fall in love with the cross. Inside the play are Shakespeare’s play clips with actors and rehearsals. In the end, the problems are solved. Lovers get each other. The joint ending begins an inner drama. Ludwig’s text feasts on Shakespeare and succeeds excellently. The comedy directed by Neil Hardwick makes you laugh, at least once you get going. Sure, it’s amusing to see men in women’s clothes, but that’s not enough. And that’s not the comedic essence of this play. At the beginning of the play, we are at the annual ball of the moose group. It is depicted by a huge log wall. Former star actors Leo Clark and Jack Gable play Shakespeare’s assembled scenes. No one wants them, the money is gone, and something has to be invented. A real train pushes onto the scene. On the big stage, anything is possible. Leo and Jack go for a scam. The train is allowed to stay and the American mansion dream opens up as the main stage. That’s where we stay until the end. Hannu Lindholm’s scenography surprises end here. Esko Roineen Leo and Asko Sarkola’s Jack are aiming for millions. They dress up as Maxine and Stephanie, inevitably drifting into tight spots. The audience laughs. Sure, the men are amusing-looking, but what makes them laugh the most is their sincere aspiration. These actors have a clear goal. Its purpose is not to amuse with its appearance. In his role, Esko Roine is a multi-layered living man who, even to his own surprise, really falls in love. He has an old friend, a rival, a charming ladies’ man and a warm-hearted Maxine. Roine is lightning fast in his reactions. He doesn’t try, he strives by striving, but shines by living the reality of Leo or Maxine. All in all. Asko Sarkola’s Jack is an excellent counterpart to Leo. The diva’s gestures start to taste good and the soup thickens. In the masterpiece of misunderstandings, Jack seduces the priest Duncan and fears being seduced. The audience howls with laughter. Roine and Sarkola are the driving force behind the play. They don’t get confused by comedy, but are able to create a human framework for their amusing characters. Santeri Kinnunen is a Duncan priest. He plays an important role in trying to thwart Jack and Leo’s goals. Kinnunen laughs with his physical slithering. He performs contradictory activities. Surprising movement language alone does not tell us who this priest is like. The female characters in the play seem to be light enough and nice clothes. Individuals are often left in beautiful cocoons.
Lue lisääWHEN THEATRE IS PLAYYou know those ancient emblem masks of the theatre, one mouth in the ears, the other forehead in deep wrinkles of sorrow. Now it’s time for the former, cleanly. It’s very good, because sometimes it feels like the people don’t really know how to play, go crazy, throw themselves into being children anymore. If you haven’t done a laughter test for a long time, now is your chance. Bring a large handkerchief in case of a bubbling nose and flowing makeup.The American farce fits perfectly on the stage of the Helsinki City Theatre thanks to the lively direction and the country’s top comedians. Neil Hardwick bounces the pieces of his chessboard with pleasure, and brothers Asko Sarkola and Esko Roine make their own bounces with at least two spins. The heroes of this hilarious rogue story are two Shakespeare actors who have gone crazy on a trip, who, in the hope of easy money and spurred on by a newspaper advertisement, pretend to be lost relatives and thus possible heirs. To be more precise, the heiress, because according to a surprise twist, it turns out to be two women. Nothing is impossible for a professional actor, Leo and Jack, Esko and Asko, convince each other, and they also have to make a great effort to redeem that claim.The deceased has not yet died, and it does not seem that he will die anytime soon, and there are others who are also claiming property. And when love jumps into the game, it’s about staying in your own box, no matter how skilled the impostor is.
Lue lisääDIVA DRAG SHOW GROWS INTO A PARODYRoine and Sarkola present Leo and Jack, who represent Shakespeare and Maxinea and Stephanie, who play…
Lue lisääCOMEDY OF DISGUISE AND SEXUAL MISUNDERSTANDINGS The City Theatre’s Diva farce counts down its power to the rapid role changes of skilled actors The Helsinki City Theatre’s annual farce is a new American hit, Ken Ludwig’s Leading Ladies. The play offers brilliant female roles to the “leaders on stage” duo Asko Sarkola and Esko Roine. When the starting point of the story is the blowing gig of two Shakespeare actors who are still exploring the periphery and have worn out their tours, laughter is torn onto the stage from the merciless backyards of the theatre. The theatrical quotes from William Shakespeare’s Hamlet and Epiphany Eve run as parallel themes to farce foolishness, so that we are at the roots of the performing arts! Right? As a theatre, the doubling diva and the charisma of popular actors may have increased the popularity of Ludwig’s play everywhere it has been performed. Helsinki will not be ashamed in that respect, as the City Theatre has local “divas” to throw on stage, in addition to the directors, Satu Silvo or Santeri Kinnunen , who are rarely seen on stage these days, and Marjatta Raita, who plays the vital grandmother. The farce is not a great breather, but it is witty in its kind and especially in the second half it is even sparklingly fast spinning of wrong entrances. The plot elements are feather-light and based on gender misunderstandings. The laughter is kicked off in the name of an extraordinary gig invented by the actors from a newspaper report. The comedy is tied to the masculine charm and love affairs of millionaires. To make it even more funny, the old lady of steel who leaves an inheritance refuses to die. The reward is still a happy ending. The actor has also earned a home, neighbours and a wife. But nothing new under the sun. For example, Billy Wilder’s Dirty Places or Brandon Thomas’ classic Charley’s Aunt are better models for farce, and the traces also lead to Ludwig’s successful play Shakespeare in Hollywood. The traditional stage shots of palm trees and moonlight hissing in Pennsylvania evenings take us to the original locations. In the shadows of the operetta stairs, which make it easier to stumble, you wrap your dresses under your arm and sway around in high heels. On the fly, the double roles that change from men to women or vice versa offer Asko and Esko plenty to do, which is sweetened by Satu Silvo’s radiant enchantress, actress-worshipping cousin Meg. Neil Hardwick has directed the entire concoction into a harmlessly smooth theater, where laughter is elicited by disguises and false kisses. The first half freezes to bloom on the sausage-and-egg line of ambiguity. The latter part raises the tempo much. In particular, Sarkola’s rubbery mime interpretation of the role of ingénue as a potential heiress shows what a drag queen we have lost in the theatre director. Roine’s Maxine is a bit more masculine, but phenomenally fast in her wig changes. Kinnunen’s ankle pastor, Pekka Strang’s clumsy suitor Butch, Eero Saarinen’s doctor and Vappu Nalbantoglu’s nimbly self-conscious girl next door complete the gallery of characters, which flutters lightly in the directions required by the plot. For comparison, it should be mentioned that the big stage of the Stockholm City Theatre also moves in the atmosphere of the end times of Shakespeare actors. The long and even boring interpretation of Ronald Harwood’s The Dresser is an absolute box office magnet for the theatre. It’s just that the genre of theatre is very different. The golden age of the great actor, which has already gone down in history, is finally cut short by the bombing of London in 1944. I’m not sure if Helsinki has to boost cash flows along the lines of musicals and farces either. So be it if it is the only way to make possible the premiere of Ari-Pekka Lahti’s heart-scratching and impressive Heartland , which will be performed in Pasila. It’s not easy to be a Shakespeare actor! Their weathered charisma could have been feasted on at the beginning of the Divas by adding mud. Now the starving couple, measuring their lives from the windows of the train, were very stylized. Alongside the glamour of discount stores, a touch of the actor’s brutal everyday life could have been added, carried by Ludwig’s advice: Learn the text and don’t bump into the scenes. That is what this farce confirms.
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