In pursuit of human joy
Arne Lygre’s play is an exceptional work of art.
At a time when hard values are increasingly taking over Finland and the whole of Europe, Lygre’s multi-layered tapestry dares to defend humanity, and it does so in the most startling way.
How revolutionary is it today when someone dares to call for the joy found in another person? How radical is it to hear the stage characters striving powerfully towards this joy? What could be more political?
In a recent radio interview hosted by Ruben Stiller, pastor and feminist Hilkka Olkinuora highlighted what modern people should think about as the most important topic of joy. Olkinuora stated that a person who experiences joy acts and makes different, more positive decisions than a fearful, anxious person.
Arne Lygre seems to me to be claiming something similar with his play. In his play, he brings out characters, some of whom know each other and others who do not, but all are united by a strong pursuit of joy.
I met one of Norway’s best-known playwrights, director Tatu Hämäläinen, in Oslo before I started translating the play into Finnish. According to Lygre, the reception of his play in Norway was incredible. The coronavirus period was coming to an end, and there seemed to be a fear inside people, which was often directed at meeting another person. The play coincided with a moment when people seemed to need each other even more than before.
I asked Lygre if this was his intention. He replied that his goal was to write a play in which people are allowed to talk about things more directly to each other than what happens in the real world. He didn’t think much about it, after all, he wrote the play before the pandemic. She often finds it interesting in theatre when you can present different kinds of realities. They often seem to reflect on the modern world, to take a stand on it in some way.
For me, translating the play into Finnish and following the stage rehearsals has been a great pleasure. I have experienced that through the work, we get to deal with important issues together with the working group.
At the same time, I feel a great contradiction inside me. I feel that we live in a time when content-rich theatre and culture are perhaps needed more than before, but the current Finnish government seems to think the opposite.
That is another reason why I would like to thank the Finnish Cultural Foundation for launching the World on Stage project. With the support of this project, I was able to meet playwright Lygre in Oslo with the director, and with the same project, we here at the Helsinki City Theatre also managed to find Lygre’s wonderful work.
As the translator of the work and the dramaturg of the stage process, I would like to welcome every viewer to the Helsinki City Theatre to watch this important play.
Towards joy!
Ari-Pekka Lahti