HKT’s late autumn programme includes Finnish novelties and hits from our western neighbour
Helsinki City Theatre’s autumn season continues after the premieres in August and September, The Little Mermaid, The Game Path, Perfect Saturday, Marriage Greke and Threesome, with stage adaptations of Minna Lindgren’s The Angry Widow on the Main Stage and Rosa Liksom’s The Colonel on a small stage. The Finnish premiere of the Swedish hit Sufflören will take place at Lilla Teatern, and the Finnish premiere of The Man Who Loved Order, which has been described as the “Swedish Devil”, will take place on the Arena stage.
On the big stage of the Helsinki City Theatre, the autumn season continues with the premiere of The Angry Widow, based on Minna Lindgren’s popular novel (2018), on 10 October. Dramatised by Henna Piirto and directed by Kimmo Virtanen, this life-like drama comedy recognisably tells the story of Finland’s most growing age group, those over 70 years of age.
Ulla-Riitta Rauskio, aka Ullis, has lived her whole life as a decent person should: married, had two children, looked after the home and worked. The marriage did not bring happiness, but when the spouse dies, a new life begins. A group of friends from his youth get back together and guide Ullis through senior discos, hot yoga and surprise dates. Is a person over seventy allowed to have fun or does his place be in a nursing home?
The main roles are played by Riitta Havukainen (Ullis), Kai Lehtinen, Pia Runnakko and Eija Vilpas. The set design is by Katariina Kirjavainen, the costumes by Elina Vättö and the choreography by Jari Saarelainen.
The autumn on the small stage also continues with a strong story of a woman. Based on Rosa Liksom’s book (2017) and dramatised and directed by Susanna Airaksinen , The Colonel will premiere on the small stage on 2 October.
Interpreted by Heidi Herala , the fierce and richly linguistic performance tells the story of a young girl who admires parades and uniforms and grows into an independent, adult and writer in the wilderness of Lapland. At the same time, the performance depicts the progress of the young, independent state through the wars, life between the Soviet Union and Nazi Germany, especially Finland’s relationship with Germany.
The set and costumes of The Colonel were designed by Vilma Mattila , and the rich soundscape of the performance was composed and designed by Johanna Puuperä.
The Man Who Loved Order, which has been described as the “Swedish version of The Devil”, will have its Finnish premiere on 3 October on the Arena stage. The stage adaptation of Marie Persson Hedenius, Johan Rheborg and Emma Bucht, known as Fredrik Backman’s book (En man som heter Ove, 2012) and the film of the same name (2015), has been translated into Finnish by Päivi Storgård.
The drama comedy tells the story of a widowed Olavi, whose only mission in life has become to maintain meticulous order in the terraced house company and to make sure that no one behaves in the yard against the rules. However, a family moving in next door and the family’s Iranian-born mother disrupt Olavi’s organized life, and a funny and heartwarming story begins about a shaggy cat, an unexpected friendship, love and the importance of proper tools.
The role of Olavi is played by Taneli Mäkelä, and the play is directed by Markus Groth, who played the same role at the Swedish Theatre. The performance is a collaboration between the Helsinki City Theatre and the Turku City Theatre, first in Helsinki and in the spring of 2020 in Turku.
Lilla Teatern’s autumn will also continue with a Swedish play. Andreas T. Olsson’s breakthrough play Sufflören (2012) will be seen for the first time in Finland, directed by Marina Meinander , on 17 October. Olsson has performed the play he wrote during his studies at the Royal Dramatic Theatre in Stockholm to full houses since September 2013, toured with it at Riksteatern and visited the Stanislavski Festival in Moscow.
Sufflören is a warm comedy about a whisperer who has found his place. He is one of the pillars of theatre and the invisible forces that help others shine. In his own words, he has succeeded best when he is least needed. Now he gets his moment in the limelight and gets to tell the audience about his life as a whisperer, the wonderful world of theatre and his love for great classics.
The role of the whisperer is played by Joachim Wigelius, one of the driving forces of Lilla Teatern.
The new musical of ShedHelsinki, a musical theatre project that deviates from the mainstream, will be rehearsed and performed at the Helsinki City Theatre. The novelty, directed by Heikki Sankari , will be released on 2 September, and it will premiere at Studio Pasila on 7 December.
During the autumn, the theatre will also feature interesting visits. Lilla Teatern will host the well-known clown group Schtunk from Gothenburg with their new performance 123 Schtunk presents A Dream Game on 14 September. The Swedish group Östfronten will visit Lilla Teatern on 8 October with their musical Trollkarlen Från Chicago. Improvisation theatre Stella Polaris will visit Lillan’s stage in October-December with its Stella Polaris improvisoi! ensemble, which includes all-night performances Helsinki Noir and Oh, What a Farce! as well as club nights with the stars of Improklubi with the stars, the Swedish-language Svenska Dagen Efter and the bilingual En Stjärnpäckad Show!. Emilia Nyman and Arttu Takalo’s The amazing Christmas concert Christmas på Lillan will be included in Lillan’s repertoire again on 9 and 10 December.
Stand-up comedian Iikka Kivi, known from The Balance of Laughter and About a Week’s News, will make his first solo performance on the Arena stage on 2 November.
In November, the artists and other staff of the Helsinki City Theatre will offer a concert trip to the world of film and musical tunes on the main stage for one of the Songs from Broadway and West End evening.
HKT’s autumn season programme continues at Studio Pasila with the ever-popular Stones in Your Pocket, the traditional stand-up club Club act!one and Fingerpori, based on Pertti Jarla’s popular comic. On the small stage, Martti Suosalo’s visit is the Best in Life, the family drama Little Foxes, and in the foyer, the delightful fairy tale play Tahvo and Bella, about animal friends, and Twelve Gifts to Santa Claus, which delighted the youngest members of the family.
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Next premieres at the Helsinki City Theatre
29.8.2019 The Little Mermaid on the big stage, dir. Samuel Harjanne
4.9.2019 Game Trail on a small stage, dir. Lauri Maijala
5.9.2019 Perfect Saturday On the Arena stage, dir. Jaakko Saariluoma
11.9.2019 The marriage thing Lilla Teaternissa, dir. Cris af Enehielm
12.9.2019 Threesome studio in Pasila, dir. Liisa Mustonen
2.10.2019 Colonel on a small stage, dir. Susanna Airaksinen
3.10.2019 The Man Who Loved Order, on the Arena stage, dir. Markus Groth
10.10.2019 Angry widow on the big stage, dir. Kimmo Virtanen
17.10.2019 Sufflören Lilla Teaternissa, dir. Marina Meinander
7.12.2019 ShedHelsinki studio in Pasila, dir. Heikki Sankari (Announcement 2.9.2019)
Visits
14.9.2019 123 Schtunk presents A Dream Play Lilla Teaternissa
8.10.2019 The Magician from Chicago Lilla Teaternissa
9.-10.12.2019 Christmas at Lillan Lilla Teaternissa
5.10. – 13.12.2019 Stella Polaris improvises! evenings at Lilla Teatern
2.11.2019 Iikka Kivi – Spede has died On the Arena stage
24.11.2019 Songs from Broadway and the West End on the big stage
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 authors Riikka Pulkkinen 18.9.2019, Leena Lehtolainen 17.10.2019 and Sanna Karlström 19.11.2019
Wednesday’s backstage tours
Helsinki City Theatre ticket office, Ensi linja 2, Mon-Fri 9 am – 5.30 pm, Eläintarhantie 5 Sat 11 am – 7 pm and one hour before the performance and Lippupiste Mon-Sat 9 am – 9 pm, Sun 10 am – 6 pm, tel. 0600 900 900 (2 €/min + local network charge)
www.hkt.fi
Press photos can be found in the image bank and press releases in the newsroom.
Further information, media ticket reservations and interview requests: Helsinki City Theatre, Communications Officer Kaisa Pelkonen, kaisa.pelkonen@hkt.fi, 040 552 3788
Helsinki City Theatre, Ensi linja 2, 00530 Helsinki