Royal Hattara creative team

Whatever Love Means

A stage for contemporary performance

Studio Pasila – Ratamestarinkatu 5
Premiere 7.8.2024
Approx. 1 hr 20 min, no interval
The performance is in Finnish.
The performance is intended for adults. We do not recommend it for children under the age of 9.
Student ticket 12,50 € (Mon–Thu), Pensioner ticket 22 € (Mon–Thu), Standard ticket 25 €

Note: No longer in repertoire!

Performance dates:

Wed 7.8. at 18.30, Studio Pasila
Thu 8.8. at 18.30, Studio Pasila
Fri 9.8. at 18.30, Studio Pasila
Sat 10.8. at 18.30, Studio Pasila
Wed 14.8. at 18.30, Studio Pasila
Thu 15.8. at 18.30, Studio Pasila
Fri 16.8. at 18.30, Studio Pasila
Sat 17.8. at 13.00 and 18.30, Studio Pasila
Tue 20.8. at 18.30, Studio Pasila

Whatever Love Means is an outrageously romantic comedy about love. In this witty contemporary puppet theatre production, foam Cupids lost in their own footnotes and an irresistibly charming cast of romcom celebrities offer guidance through the tangled conceptual thicket of love.

A consultancy run by helpful Cupids faces an unprecedented challenge when Hertta Arpinen, a socially conscious child of the 2020s, walks in as a client. Despite the pastel-hued Hollywood service packages, Cupid’s formulas fail to deliver the desired result, and even simulations overflowing with hearts and footnotes cannot put this demanding client in the mood. What has happened to Hertta’s feelings?

The creative team brings together leading names in Finnish puppetry alongside carefully selected theatre and circus artists. This artistic collision produces a pick-and-mix bag of ideas disguised beneath a layer of pink icing, and hidden deep inside is the most important thing of all: the ultimate answer to the mystery of love. Or could it be Prince Charles’s enormous head?

Creative team
Original concept: Merja Pöyhönen, Essi Santala, Riina Tikkanen
Script: Taija Helminen
Director: Merja Pöyhönen
Assistant director: Olavi Ermala
Puppet construction: Helena Markku
Set design: Johanna Latvala
Props: Tonja Goldblatt
Lighting design: Essi Santala
Sound design: Olli-Pekka Jauhiainen and Petteri Salomaa
Photography: Majo Kurki
Performers: Petra Heinänen, Henni Kervinen, Sirpa Järvenpää, Helena Markku, Elena Rekola, Miika Suonperä, Riina Tikkanen

Supported by: Suomen Kulttuurirahasto, Suomen Kulttuurirahaston Uudenmaan rahasto, Taiteen Edistämiskeskus, Turun Teatterisäätiö, Aura of Puppets

The production was created during the Nykyesityksen näyttämö summer residency. The platform brings a variety of contemporary performance forms to Helsinki City Theatre’s programme. Nykyesityksen näyttämö is supported by Koneen Säätiö in 2024–2025.

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Seating chart

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Stage

Studio Pasila

Ratamestarinkatu 5, 00520 Helsinki

More information and arrival instructions

Gallery

Useat mustiin pukeutuneet nukketeatteritaiteilijat manipuloivat suuria, ilmeikkäitä nukkeja vaahtomuovisilla rekvisiitoilla täytetyn pöydän ääressä. Yhdellä nukella on pupunkorvat ja pyjama, kun taas toisella on kädessään punainen kukkakimppu.

Neljä esiintyjää käyttää suuria vauvanukkeja lavalla seinän edessä, jossa lukee isoin kirjaimin WHERE LOVE HAPPENS. Kohtaus on värikäs ja teatraalinen, ja siinä on dramaattinen valaistus ja ilmeikkäät nukkekasvot.

Neljä tummiin vaatteisiin pukeutunutta nukketeatteritaiteilijaa pitelee suuria lintunukkeja violetinharmaan seinän edessä, jonka yläpuolella on vaaleanpunaisin 3D-kirjaimin teksti WHATEVER LOVE MEANS.

Background

FROM THE CURATOR

What does love mean? A contemporary puppet theatre performance delves into the sociology of Romanticism

There are people who would never have fallen in love if they had never heard of love. - François de la Rochefoucauld (1613–1680)

HUOMENTA SUOMI

Dolls ventilate Hollywood love clichés

Director Merja Pöyhönen and puppeteers Riina Tikkanen and Helena Markku, as well as the Sociologist and Poet Couples Huomenta Suomi.

HELSINGIN SANOMAT

Plush foam dolls tell about love: "You've never seen this on the Finnish stage before"

Whatever Love Means, which can be seen on the stage of the Helsinki City Theatre's Contemporary Performance, is an exceptionally large and soft puppet theatre work.

Reviews

Kirsin Book Club, 8.8.2024

Review

Kirsi Ranin

“I believe that those who enjoy the performance of Whatever Love Means the most are those who understand a large part of the references that are presented. If you’re not familiar with the classics of romantic comedies, it can be hard to understand why others laugh. To the auditorium, you can head alone or together. The performance is guaranteed to offer light and gentle material for the aftermath of the essence of love!”

Kielipuolen päiväkirja, 8.8.2024

Review

Matti Saarela

Love for puppetry at first sight – Whatever Love Means was a mocking adult game with large foam-headed puppets – The list of sociological source works in the script is as long as a gorilla’s hairy arm

Demokraatti, 8.8.2024

Review

Annikki Alku

“Foam rules! This can definitely be said about the Royal Cotton Candy working group’s work Whatever Love Means, which premiered at the City Theatre’s studio Pasila.

Comments

Olin kokemassa jotain ennennäkemätöntä teatterin riemua. Nuket tempaisi mukaansa. Mahtavia persoonia ja klovneria oli vahvasti läsnä. Puhetta olisi voinut olla paljon vähemmän, koska nukkien pelkkä fyysinen olemus oli valtavan kiinnostavaa katsoa!