Ramp Panthers come to life in a theatre converted into a retirement home
The Arena stage, which has been converted into a retirement home for actors, will feature the best hits of the past decades when the musical comedy Forever Young premieres on 7 March. The play, written by Erik Gedeon from Switzerland, is directed by Heikki Sankari and the roles are played by actors familiar from HKT’s musicals.
We are living in the future, a few decades from the present. The Arena stage has been converted into a retirement home, where the actors of the City Theatre spend their days under the strict observation of a caretaker. When the caretaker’s eye avoids it, the grey ramp panthers come to life to reminisce about the past. They have plenty to remember, as each has already celebrated its 90th birthday. What is life like now that the days are filled with being? Do we get old when we turn old enough? Or will we remain the same after all, and in the end, always the same – forever young?
“Forever Young touchingly deals with the fact that we are all inevitably getting old through the means of comedy. The play ponders whether it is possible to be young even when old, even though no one can stay young forever – except in their minds. It will be a music-filled, boisterous, entertaining and thought-provoking performance in which life and the passage of time are treated with warmth and humour,” says director Heikki Sankari .
Forever Young is like a retirement home’s Just Life, where each actor is in turn the artist of the day. The musical comedy is built around hit songs from the 80s and 90s.
The musical comedy features Vuokko Hovatta, Juha Jokela, Pertti Koivula, Vappu Nalbantoglu, Leenamari Unho and Mikko Vihma , as well as pianist Tuomas Kesälä.
The play is directed by Heikki Sankari, conducted by Tuomas Kesälä and choreographed by Johanna Keinänen. The set design was designed by Antti Mattila, the costumes by Sari Suominen and the camouflage by Milja Mensonen. Paavo Kykkänen is responsible for the lighting design and the sound design is by Jaakko Virmavirta . The play has been translated into Finnish by Sanna Niemeläinen, who has also acted as the play’s dramaturg.
Read the director’s interview on the theatre’s website: How old can you stay young?
Forever Young premieres on 7.3.2024 at the Helsinki City Theatre’s Arena stage (Hämeentie 2).
Tickets: basic ticket 46 €, student ticket 23 € (Mon-Thu) and pensioner ticket 43 € (Mon-Thu)
#foreveryoung @hktfi
Helsinki City Theatre’s ticket sales and customer service by phone (09) 394022 Mon-Fri 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Ticket offices First line 2, Mon-Fri 12-17, Eläintarhantie 5, Sat (on performance days) 11-18 and one hour before the performance and Lippu.fi, Mon-Sat 9-21, Sun 10-18, tel. 0600 900 900 (2 €/min + local network charge) www.hkt.fi
In the photo: Vuokko Hovatta, Mikko Vihma, Juha Jokela, Leenamari Unho, Vappu Nalbantoglu and Pertti Koivula. Photographer: Otto-Ville Väätäinen.
Further information, media ticket reservations and interview requests:
Kaisa Pelkonen, Communications Manager, kaisa.pelkonen@hkt.fi, 040 552 3788
Helsinki City Theatre, Ensi linja 2, 00530 Helsinki