Bolla’s play at the Helsinki City Theatre directed by Milja Sarkola
The first stage adaptation of Pajtim Statovci’s Finlandia Prize-winning novel, Bolla , will premiere on 2 September on the small stage of the Helsinki City Theatre. The novelty, dramatised by Tuomas Timonen , will be directed by award-winning theatre maker Milja Sarkola.
Bolla tells a harrowing story about forbidden love between a married family man, Albanian Arsim (Samuli Niittymäki) and Serbian Miloš (Mikko Kauppila) in the conditions of war in Kosovo in the late 1990s. At the same time, the timeless and topical story raises questions about impossible relationships, but is also a depiction of human contradictions, marriage and longing. Are there situations where it is right to do wrong? Bolla is a great love story set in the middle of war, where good and evil are not black and white.
“In my opinion, the most interesting thing about Bolla is the depiction of human contradictions. How the same person can be very cruel, brutal and violent in cramped conditions, but still loving and tender,” says director Milja Sarkola.
In Tuomas Timonen’s stage version, Arsim’s wife Ajshe (Jessica Grabowsky) rises alongside the male protagonists and opens up a new female perspective to the play. Director and playwright Milja Sarkola praises Timonen’s dramatisation.
“Timonen’s dialogue is loaded. Between the lines there is good drama and a huge amount of emotions. Embodying and showing it is interesting. It’s been inspiring to go inside someone else’s text. And it’s liberating when you don’t feel ashamed of your own text.“
"Bolla’s story has the timeless power of a great tragedy, in the same way as in classic ancient tragedies. In addition, it tells about Europe’s recent history, about which not much is known in Finland at this level of accuracy," Sarkola continues.
In addition to Samuli Niittymäki, Mikko Kauppila and Jessica Grabowsky, the roles of Bolla are played by Otto Rokka, Ursula Salo and Jouko Klemettilä.
The set design of the play is designed by Kaisa Rasila and the costume design is by Elina Kolehmainen. The lighting designer is Kari Leppälä and the sound designer is Aleksi Saura. The camouflage is designed by Jaana Nykänen.
Milja Sarkola (b. 1975) is an award-winning playwright and theatre director. His plays include Something Else – The Stage of Personal Desire, Allt som sägs and Family Member, which Sarkola also directed, and which won the Thalia Prize in 2012. Her debut novel Kapitalni was published in 2020 and its play version premiered at Q-teatteri (2020). At the Helsinki City Theatre, he has previously directed the plays Brevet från Siberien (2007), Letter from Siberia (2010), I taket lyser stjärnorna (2012) and En BLICK är en BLICK är en BLICK (2019).
Bolla premiere 2.9.2021 on the small stage of the Helsinki City Theatre (Eläintarhantie 5)
Student ticket €20.50 (Mon-Thu), pensioner ticket €38 (Mon-Thu), basic ticket €41
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