Helsinki City Theatre’s spring programme continues to be diverse – the themes are relationships and friendship
Helsinki City Theatre’s spring season continues after the premieres in January and February – Tahto, Comeback – räpäsessa roiskuu, Ens lite lugn i huset, Fingerpori, Bonfire: The Wandering Bands of Storytelling Sapiens and Kirsikkaorha – with the family drama Pienet ketut (Little Foxes), directed by Kari Heiskanen, and a film about friendship fairy tale play Tahvo and Bella. Lilla Teatern will premiere En blick är en blick är en blick, directed by Jessica Grabowsky and Milja Sarkola.
Kari Heiskanen’s new direction brings The Little Foxes (1939), written by Lilian Hellman and a classic of American family dramas, to the present day. The thriller of great emotions tells the story of brothers who want to get rich, but also need their sister’s husband’s money to carry out their business idea. However, he does not want to invest in the company, and so the brothers decide to resort to illegal means. In this family, you don’t win with love, but with greed – who is willing to go the farthest?
“The play credibly reveals the lowliness of people, as well as their courage and nobility,” says director Kari Heiskanen.
The roles of the complex interpersonal play, which will premiere on the small stage on 2 April, will be played by Rauno Ahonen, Seppo Halttunen, Risto Kaskilahti, Pertti Koivula, Elviira Kujala, Paavo Kääriäinen, Ursula Salo, Sari Siikander and Linda Zilliacus.
From 20 March, the animal friends familiar from Tapani Bagge’s popular children’s books, the Mexican hairless dog Bella and the cat Tahvo, will be adventuring in the foyer of the small stage.
Bella the dog lives on Lighthouse Island together with her owner, lighthouse keeper Selma. With a storm, Tahvo the cat arrives on the island in his bathtub boat. Bella introduces Tahvo to life on the island and tells him about the lighthouse. Suddenly, the lighthouse light goes out, and since Selma is resting with a cold, Tahvo and Bella are in a hurry to get the lamp back on before the ships run aground. The friends manage to save the situation, and Selma asks Tahvo to stay with them on the island.
Tahvo and Bella, directed by Sami Rannila, tells an insightful story about friendship and also takes a stand on environmental protection. The play’s set and costumes, which utilise recycled materials, were designed by Maarit Kalmakurki. The roles of the performance, which has a rich soundscape and music, are also played by Tiina Peltonen, Raili Raitala and Mikko Vihma, who are familiar from HKT’s musicals. The performance is suitable for everyone over the age of three.
Lilla Teatern’s spring premiere is a collaboration with the Theatre Academy’s Swedish-speaking acting students and the Ung Dramatik project, which produces new drama for children and young people. Directed by Jessica Grabowsky and Milja Sarkola , En blick är en blick is a story about the power and necessity of the gaze. How do we imagine that others see us? What words do we use to describe each other? What perspectives can we choose about ourselves, each other, and our environment? The play is written and performed by Emilia Jansson, Matilda Kruse, Oksana Lommi, Herman Nyby, Martin Paul and Emelie Zilliacus.
During the spring, the City Theatre’s programme will also feature interesting visits. Martti Suosalo’s masterful monologue performance The Best of Life will visit the Small Stage from 1 February. Pate Mustajärvi’s The Phantom of the Theatre tour will land on the Arena stage on 19 and 21 March. Studio Pasila will be visited by Siegfried by Katariina Havukainen and Mikko Kauppila, a co-production of the Theatre Academy and NÄTY, starting on 12 March.
Celebrating the 170th anniversary of our national epic, Lilla Teatern will present Anders Larsson’s quick version of the Kalevala combined with bold folk songs by Victoria Lindqvist and Linda Sundberg , Kalevala & Erotiska folksånger on 28 February, Lina Teir’s storytelling workshop’s true stories of life, Rakt your livet on 22 March, and Fabia, a co-production of Teater Mestola and the Swedish 4e Teatern. Silén’s macabre comedy Paradise Doctrine on 15 and 16 May.
The City Theatre’s repertoire continues with the wildly popular Kinky Boots and Kari Väänänen’s Kaasua, komissario Palmu! on the big stage. The Groke Opera, a classic for the whole family, Kekkonen and the Kremlin Dance School, which delves into Finland’s recent history, and the Broadway award-winning novelty Dollhouse, part 2, will continue on the small stage, and the all-time favourite Stones in Your Pocket and the renowned stand-up club Clubact!one will continue on the small stage. Maria Brauns äktenskap, directed by Cilla Back, will continue at Lilla Teatern, and by popular demand, Tove Jansson’s beloved Sommarboken will return to the programme. In February, the Arena Stage will host two additional performances of Jukka Lindström’s popular stand-up show Välikysymys. Heidi Herala’s, Aino Seppo’s and Eija Vilppas‘ popular Coffee with the Writer events, which are free of charge for the public, will continue in March, and the guest authors will be Kirsi Vaino-Korhonen, Jani Mäkivalli and Saara Turunen.
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Next premieres at the Helsinki City Theatre:
Tahto 24.1.2019 on a small stage, dir. Sini Pesonen
Comeback – Rapping Splashes 30.1.2019 on the big stage, dir. Sakari Hokkanen
Even a little calm in the house 2.2.2019 Lilla Teaternissa, dir. Jaakko Saariluoma
Fingerpori 7.2.2019 studio in Pasila, dir. Pertti Sveholm
Bonfire: The Wandering Bands Of Storytelling Sapiens 27.2.2019 studio in Pasila, chor. and dir. Ima Iduozee
The Cherry Orchard 28.2.2019 on the big stage, dir. Lauri Maijala
Tahvo and Bella 20.3.2019 in the foyer of the small stage, dir. Sami Rannila
Little Foxes 3.4.2019 on a small stage, dir. Kari Heiskanen
A look is a look is a look 25.4.2019 Lilla Teaternissa, dir. Jessica Grabowsky and Milja Sarkola
Visits
The Best in Life 1.2.2019 on a small stage, dir. Pentti Kotkaniemi
Interjection 5.2.2019 and 7.2.2019 at the Arena Stage
Kalevala & Erotic Folk Songs 28.2.2019 Lilla Teaternissa
Siegfried 12.3.2019 studio in Pasila, dir. Katariina Havukainen
Pate Mustajärvi – The Phantom of the Theatre 19.3.2019 and 21.3.2019, on the Arena stage
Straight Out of Life 22.3.2019, Lilla Teaternissa
Paradise Doctrine 15 and 16 May 2019 at Lilla Teatern
Public events
Coffee with a writer events in the foyer of the main stage. Free admission. Heidi Herala, Aino Seppo and Eija Vilppas as guests of authors
- Kirsi Vainio-Korhonen 5.3.2019 at 5 pm
- Jani Mäkivalli 26.3.2019 at 5 pm
- Saara Turunen 7.5.2019 at 5 pm
Lilla Teatern’s performances are subtitled in Finnish and Swedish. The Sommarboken performance also has English subtitles.