Murders in rugged landscapes
Hildur takes the viewer to the remote village of Ísafjörður in Iceland’s West Fjords.
Local police officer Hildur Rúnarsdóttir is paired with Jakob, who arrives from Finland for training. In a small village, the days are usually spent with routine work, until a murder occurs, then another. Soon the two discover that they are on the trail of a serial killer.
“Hildur is a compelling and exciting murder mystery that deals with the dark sides of Nordic life in a great way. We can expect a surprising and even frightening performance from this,” says director Tuomas Parkkinen .
The play is based on Satu Rämö’s successful detective novel of the same name (WSOY 2022), which is now seen as a completely new adaptation. The dramatisation based on the first part of the Hildur book series was made by Satu Rasila.
In Nordic blue
Hildur , Parkkinen is attracted by its modernity. “It’s refreshing that the main character is an active and independent woman. There’s a kind of Nordic equality in it that I’ve grown up with.”
At the same time, the village of Ísafjörður as the setting of the play brings its own special tone to it. According to Parkkinen, Iceland is relatable as a Nordic country, but still strange and unknown in a good way with its impressive landscapes.
“When the audience enters the hall and sees the stage image, the atmosphere is immediately clear. The set design, lighting, sound and video design are beautiful and rugged at the same time,” Parkkinen describes.
Stylistically, Hildur is linked to the Nordic blue genre. It is especially reminiscent of Nordic Noir, which is familiar from police series, but it has less graphic violence and social criticism. The style is also defined by Iceland’s rugged landscapes and the unique atmosphere they create.
An excellent pair of handles
The murders bring to the surface the trauma of Hildur’s past. Her sisters disappeared without a trace years ago, and the guilt stemming from the disappearance is activated by the murder investigation.
Jakob, on the other hand, has a painful custody battle going on. He has a small son with his ex-wife, whom he is not allowed to contact.
“It’s very harrowing and unfair, and in a way, it unites them as a working couple that they have both lost something,” Parkkinen says.
Hildur channels her anxiety into physical activities, while Jakob is more passive and spends his time knitting Icelandic sweaters. ” Paavo Kinnunen , who plays Jakob, has had to learn to knit so believably that he can replicate on stage and the sweater is created all the time,” Parkkinen says.
Jakob’s character has been given humour in the adaptation, which serves as a counterbalance not only to the dark events but also to the stubborn Hildur.
Parkkinen says that even though the core of the story is solving crimes, the characters’ relationships run alongside it as a weighty subplot. These layers make the characters interesting for both the audience and the actors, who get to play more than just solving the murder mystery.
“We have a really good lead couple, Elena Leeve as Hildur and Kinnunen as Jakob, who, together with the rest of the ensemble, guarantee that the performance will be entertaining, touching and at times also funny.”
Text by Ida Henritius.