A new, fresh production of Maria Jotun’s classic at the Helsinki City Theatre

The autumn season of the renovated small stage of the Helsinki City Theatre will open with Maria Jotun’s The Golden Calf on 31 August. Director Heidi Räsänen brings Jotun’s characters to the present day in a fresh new version of the classic.

The play tells the story of people who start speculating in the midst of unstable conditions and deprivation, who are blinded by the dream of getting rich quickly and the security it brings. Everything is merchandise, including love.

Of the two daughters of the family of photographer Ahlroos, who lives in poverty, Lahja is still unmarried, and Eedit is married to the honest businessman Jaakko, but like her mother, she begins to dream of riches and a wider life. Who wins, money or love?

“In Jotun’s fascinating portrayal of humanity, the characters are not limited by patriarchal gender roles. The hundred-year-old text enables the bold world of today’s stages. In terms of visuality, the performance is magical and recognizable – the present and the past are intertwined. Ruthless greed and overflowing passions drive people to make deals beyond their morals. Pretending to be innocent is a pretense. The conscience is dented and morality appears as hypocrisy,” says director Heidi Räsänen.

The cast includes Rauno Ahonen, Heidi Herala, Sanna-June Hyde, Petrus Kähkönen, Tuukka Leppänen, Vappu Nalbantoglu, Helmi-Leena Nummela, Jari Pehkonen, Ursula Salo and Aino Seppo.

The visual identity of the play has been designed by set designer Antti Mattila, costume designer Sanna Levo and lighting designer Mika Ijäs. The sound design is by Eradj Nazimov, and the soundscape is also strongly created by the cello music performed by Petrus Kähkönen.

Golden Calf premiere 31.8.2017 on the small stage of the Helsinki City Theatre (Eläintarhantie 5)
Tickets 19,50 – 39 € (incl. pm)