Paavo Westerberg’s Lillandebut är en stor berättelse om mod / Paavo Westerberg’s directorial debut at Lilla Teatern is a great story of courage
This year’s major investment in Lilla Teatern, The Strange Event with the Dog at Night, is a gripping and visually explosive story about a peculiar teenage boy’s journey to adulthood. The story takes the form of a detective novel and will premiere on October 2. The director is Paavo Westerberg, who is making his debut in Lillande .
When Mark Haddon’s bestselling novel The Strange Incident with the Dog at Night was published in 2003, it was linked to the discussion about Asperger’s syndrome. No diagnoses are actually mentioned in Haddon’s novel or in Simon Stephens’ play’s text, but the 15-year-old boy – who counts prime numbers and loves space, shy away from touch, is disgusted by the color brown and has difficulty reading facial expressions – was interpreted as representing the autism spectrum.
The play version of The Strange Incident with the Dog at Night premiered at the National Theatre in London in 2012 and has since won awards on Broadway and the West End for both Best and Most Important Play and has been performed to over five million spectators around the world. Lilla Teatern’s production is the first in Helsinki. The rehearsals took place during the worst of the corona period and the premiere was originally supposed to be in March 2021.
The director is one of Finland’s leading theatre directors and screenwriters, Jussi Award-winning Paavo Westerberg, 48. Westerberg is known for his many film and television productions as well as court writer for the National Theatre. The performance at Lillan is Westerberg’s directorial debut in Swedish.
“This is , afterall, a notion of courage. The main character is fragile but at the same time so brave that the hairs on the back of the neck stand on end. I think many will go home with a big lump in their throat but also happy, uplifted,” says Paavo Westerberg.
The main role of Christopher is played by Alexander Wendelin. The Loviisa-born Wendelin has most recently been seen in Lilla Teatern’s Once and Men Cannot Be Raped. The other roles are played by Ulriikka Heikinheimo, Vuokko Hovatta, Robert Kock, Pia Runnakko, Joachim Wigelius and Cecilia Paul, guests from the Swedish Theatre.
The set and costume design is by Swedish Sven Dahlberg, video designer is Toni Haaranen. The Swedish translation is by Anna Simberg. The performance is subtitled in Finnish and Swedish.
The strange incident with the dog at night
premiere 2.10.2021 Lilla Teatern (Yrjönkatu 30)
Helsinki City Theatre customer service, tel. 09 394022 Mon-Fri 9-16. Lippupiste Mon-Fri. at. 9 – 17, tel. 0600 900 900 (2 €/min+s.a)
Press images are available in the image bank and press releases in Cision’s press room
Further information, press tickets and interview requests:
Marketer Ida Virkkunen, ida.virkkunen@lillateatern.fi, 050 357 4250
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Paavo Westerberg’s directorial debut at Lilla Teatern is a great story of courage.
The biggest premiere of the season at Lilla Teatern is the touching and visual Den besynnerliga eventn med hunden om natten (The Remarkable Case of the Nocturnal Dog), which tells the story of a teenage boy’s journey towards adulthood. The premiere of the story, which unfolds like a detective story, is on 2 October, and it is director Paavo Westerberg’s first Swedish-language directorial work.
When Mark Haddon’s bestselling novel The Curious Incident With The Dog In The Night-time was published in 2003, it was included in the discussion about Asperger’s syndrome. The diagnosis is not mentioned in Haddon’s book or in Simon Stephens ‘ play script, but 15-year-old Christopher – who loves space and prime numbers, shuns touch, hates the colour brown and is not always able to perceive human expressions – has been interpreted as representing the autism spectrum.
The play version premiered at the National Theatre in London in 2012 and has won a record seven Olivier Awards, including Best Play of the Year. At Lilla Teatern, the performance will be seen for the first time in Helsinki. The rehearsals for the performance coincided with the worst of the coronavirus and the premiere was originally supposed to be in March 2021.
The director is one of Finland’s leading theatre directors and playwrights, Jussi Award-winning Paavo Westerberg, 48. Den besynnerliga eventn med hunden om natten is Westerberg’s Swedish-language directorial debut.
“Above all, this performance is a great story of courage,” Westerberg says. “The main character is sensitive and at the same time so brave that the hairs on the back of your neck stand on end. I believe that many people will go home after the performance, both with a lump in their throat and happy.”
The main role of Christopher is played by Alexander Wendelin. Wendelin, who is originally from Loviisa, has also performed in Lilla Teatern’s plays Once and Män kan inte våldtas (A man can’t be raped). The other roles are played by Ulriikka Heikinheimo, Vuokko Hovatta, Robert Kock, Pia Runnakko, Joachim Wigelius and Cecilia Paul, who is a guest from Svenska Teatern.
The performance is set and costumed by Swedish Sven Dahlberg, and the video design is by Toni Haaranen. The Swedish translation is by Anna Simberg. The performance will be subtitled in Finnish and Swedish via the Subtitle Mobile mobile app
The strange incident with the dog at night
premiere 2.10.2021 at Lilla Teatern (Yrjönkatu 30)
Helsinki City Theatre’s customer service and ticket sales: 09 394022 Mon-Fri 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Lippupiste Mon-Fri 9 a.m. – 5 p.m., 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
:
Marketer Ida Virkkunen, ida.virkkunen@lillateatern.fi, 050 357 4250