Favourite characters Hansu and Pirre finally on the stage of the theatre
Hansu and Pirre, known from the popular series of the 1980s Facts about the Job and later from concert venues around Finland, will also be seen on the theatre stage this autumn. The national epic stage work Hansu ja Pirre – Mieleni minun tekevi (Hansu ja Pirre – Mieleni minun tekevi ), written, directed and performed by Riitta Havukainen and Eija Vilppas, will premiere on 21 September on the small stage of the Helsinki City Theatre.
The triumphal march of the popular characters known to the whole nation continues for more than 30 years. More than half of the tickets for this autumn’s Hansu ja Pirre – Mieleni minun tekevi performance have already been sold or reserved.
The events of the play naturally take place in the duo’s hometown of Loimaa. Hannele aka Hansu Kaakko (Riitta Havukainen) and Pirjo aka Pirre Kaasinen (Eija Vilpas) are preparing for the opening ceremony of the new art museum to be established in the former morgue. With the project, the Loimaa Darts Club will expand to the arts sector in honour of the 100th anniversary of Finland.
The performance, which includes dance, the Loimaa Theatre Club’s stage art, music, animal kingdom and folklore, also highlights the women of the great men of history. Through Pirre’s and Hansu’s own experiences and pain points, Mind Me goes through everyday things, the birth of the world, love, nature and the cosmos.
Tuomas Antikainen is responsible for coordinating the set design of the stage work and Outi Juopperi is responsible for coordinating the costumes. The lighting designer is Markus Schaffter and the sound designer is Mauri Siirala. The videos are by Santtu Salminen.
The characters Hansu and Pirre, who came to the attention of the whole nation with the TV series Fakta homma (1986-87, 1996-97), were originally created as a thesis by their creators at the Theatre Academy (1983). Fellow students Lasse Karkjärvi and Taneli Mäkelä saw the female characters created by Vilpas and Havukainen on stage and developed husbands, Heka and Aulis, for them. Director Reima Kekäläinen, on the other hand, saw the foursome perform and attached them to the Finnish Broadcasting Company’s TV2 channel. In addition to the television series, A Fact Job was made into a film in 1987. Havukainen and Vilpas still do gigs as Hansu and Pirre.
Hansu and Pirre – My Mind My Maker, premiere on 21 September 2017 at 7 pm on the small stage of the Helsinki City Theatre (Eläintarhantie 5).
Tickets: 18,50 – 37 € (incl. pm)