In ShedHelsinki’s Sleeping Beauty musical, the stage belongs to everyone
ShedHelsinki’s musical Sleeping Beauty – Back to the Future will premiere at the Helsinki City Theatre’s studio Pasila on 8 December. Following the example of London’s Chickenshed Theatre, the musical project offers children and young people from different backgrounds the opportunity to be seen and fulfil themselves in a safe and equal environment.
The musical, based on the script of the Chickenshed Theatre, is produced by the teachers of the StepUp School’s Skene Music Theatre School under the direction of director Marco Bjurström . The musical features nearly 150 children and young people aged 7–20 from the Helsinki Metropolitan Area together with musical theatre professionals and semi-professionals.
The role of Sleeping Beauty is played by Adela Ogunbor and Josefiina Vanamo, the queen is Melis Yasat and Elina Kervinen , and the king is played by Viljami Rosvall. Pauliina Kiuru , a professional in musical theatre, sparkles as the villain, and Paavo Leppäkoski, a first-grader at Kallio Upper Secondary School, as her son. In addition , Janne Saarinen, Alvari Stenbäck, Jenny Jumppanen, Nea-Maria Alanko, Linda Hasan, Peter Pihlström, Jyri Numminen and Jori Kansa bring professional reinforcements to the ensemble.
The musical, which is suitable for children over the age of 7, mixes classic fairy tales and traditional youth musicals set in the school world in an unprecedented way. The princess in the classic fairy tale is a modern-day teenager with the growing pains of puberty. And he doesn’t sleep a hundred years ahead, but wakes up in the raucous 1970s when his own parents’ teenage adventures are at their hottest.
The conductor of the six-piece orchestra in the performances is Tuomas Kesälä. The Finnish translation of the fast-paced musical is by Sami Parkkinen. The costumes were designed by Jarkko Valtee and the background projections by Elias Lehto.
Helsinki City Theatre is involved in supporting diversity and child and youth work that takes children with special needs into account by providing a venue for the musical theatre production of the ShedHelsinki Foundation, founded by Elisa. A year ago, Shed Helsinki and Elisa carried out the first similar Peter Pan theatre project, which differed from the mainstream and received a lot of praise.
“We received feedback from the audience thanking us for the unique experience. Many said that at the beginning of the performance, they had paid attention to wheelchairs and different performers, and how after a while they no longer notice, the diversity becomes natural. Something happens that changes your thoughts, and a different person leaves the theatre than you came in. It’s theatre at its finest!”, Bjurström enthuses.
The London-based Chickenshed Theatre, which serves as a model for ShedHelsinki, has been making art out of diversity together with children and young people for more than 40 years. The founders, Jo Collins and Mary Ward , believed that anyone could get up on the stage of a theater by harnessing creativity. They wanted to create an opportunity for everyone to flourish and decided to start theatre activities together in the old hen house, which is where the name Chickenshed was born. Since then, the theatre has gained well-known supporters and its own building, but the name has remained.
Sleeping Beauty – Back to the Future premieres 8.12.2017 and performances until 19.12.2017 at the Helsinki City Theatre’s studio in Pasila (Ratamestarinkatu 5)
Tickets: 39 € (incl. pm)
Age recommendation: from 7 years old
Further information:
Kaisa Pelkonen, Communications Officer, Helsinki City Theatre, 040 5523 788, kaisa.pelkonen@hkt.fi
Riikka Kannas, Project Director, ShedHelsinki, 040 354 6331, riikka@shedhelsinki.fi, www.shedhelsinki.fi
Katiye Vuorela, Communications Director, Elisa, 050 66997, katiye.vuorela@elisa.fi,