Anna Takanen’s acclaimed book becomes a performance / Anna Takanen’s award-winning book theatre performance
Anna Takanen’s book The Grief That Became is now being theatrised. A family story over three generations about grief, languagelessness and being a war child. This is the first time we see Anna Takanen on stage in Finland. The director is award-winning Mikaela Hasán. The performance premieres at Lilla Teatern and will then tour Sweden with the Swedish National Theatre and Östgötateatern.
“It feels natural for me to end my investigation of being the child of a war child with myself on stage,” says Anna Takanen. “I have approached the question as a director and writer – and now I get to highlight the story on the theatre stage.”
We have seen the pictures. The children with name tags around their necks. Those who were sent to Sweden during the war. But who were they? What did they feel? And how do their experiences affect future generations? Anna Takanen’s father Timo was one of these Finnish war children, and in Sörjen som blev she takes us on a shattering journey through history. In an intimate and personal performance, she tenderly, slowly and painfully unravels her father’s family history, and the intricacies of being the child of a war child. Is it the case that war never leaves you alone?
“I’m happy to be able to travel around with this timeless story, because there are war children everywhere. People contact me every day, so I know that the issue is very much alive in Finland and Sweden. I’ve been longing to work with Helsinki-based Mikaela Hasán for a long time, she is a very great artist. I’m a little happy that the National Theatre, Lilla Teatern and Östgötateatern together are investing in Sörjen, which became.
During her almost 30 years in the theatre world, Anna Takanen has acted, directed and worked as a theatre manager at the Gothenburg City Theatre and at Kulturhuset Stadsteatern in Stockholm. On August 2, 2020, she gave a summer talk on Swedish Radio. The Grief That Became is directed by Mikaela Hasán, artistic director of DuvTeatern in Helsinki.
“I’m very much looking forward to working with this story – and with a theme that affects so many, both on a personal and societal level,” says Mikaela Hasán.
Helsinki City Theatre’s Swedish stage Lilla Teatern in collaboration with Riksteatern and Östgötateatern.
Premiere 1.9.2021 at Lilla Teatern. Tour premiere with Riksteatern and tour with Östgötateatern in autumn 2021.
Sörjen som blev was published in 2019 by Albert Bonniers Förlag and translated into Finnish, Sina olet suruni, was published in 2020 by Gummerus.
**********************************
A theatre performance of Anna Takanen’s award-winning book
Swedish actress, director and playwright Anna Takanen’s book Sörjen som blev (You Are My Sorrow, Gummerus 2020) will be made into a theatrical performance, which will premiere in September 2021 at Lilla Teatern in Helsinki and will be seen in Sweden on a tour with Riksteatern and Östgötateatern. The story of three generations of grief, languagelessness and war children will be performed by Anna Takanen, who will take to the stage for the first time in Finland. The director is award-winning Mikaela Hasán.
“It is natural to end the study of being a child of a war child so that I am on stage myself,” says Anna Takanen. I have approached the question as a director and writer – now I get to tell the story on the theatre stage as well,” says Takanen.
We have seen pictures of children with name tags around their necks when they were sent to Sweden during the war. Who were they? What did they feel? And how will their experiences affect future generations? Anna Takanen’s father Timo was one of these war children, and in the performance Sörjen som blev Takanen takes us on a shocking journey into history. In an intimate and personal performance, he delves into his father’s background and the complexities of being a war child. Does war never leave you alone?
“I’m glad that I get to tour with this timeless story, because war children are everywhere. I am contacted almost daily, so I know that the issue is topical in both Finland and Sweden. I have wanted to work with Mikaela Hasán for a long time. He is a great artist. I’m happy that Riksteatern, Lilla Teatern and Östgötateatern are investing in this performance together,” says Anna Takanen.
During her 30-year theatre career, Anna Takanen has acted, directed and worked as the director of Gothenburg City Theatre and Kulturhuset Stadsteatern in Stockholm. Mikaela Hasán, the director of Sörjen som blev is the artistic director of DuvTeatern in Helsinki.
“I’m looking forward to working with this story and theme, both on a personal and societal level,” says Hasán.
Helsinki City Theatre’s Swedish-language stage Lilla Teatern in collaboration with Riksteatern and Östgötateatern in Gothenburg.
Premiere 1.9.2021 at Lilla Teatern in Helsinki, followed by a tour premiere with Riksteatern and a tour with Östgötateatern in autumn 2021.
Sörjen som blev was published in 2019 (Albert Bonniers förlag) and the Finnish translation You Are My Sorrow was published in 2020 (Gummerus). Translated by Leena Vallisaari.