The major investment in Finnish drama aptly delves into today’s working life
The new Finnish drama comedy Mikko Räsänen’s Future opens the spring season on the main stage of the Helsinki City Theatre on 11 March. The novelty, which is set at the city’s construction site, is the third part of a trilogy of plays by author Mika Ripatti, who works as an earthmoving contractor. The play, which aptly depicts today’s working life, is directed by Heikki Kujanpää, and the title role, the foreman of the street construction site, is played by Martti Suosalo.
“It’s great that I’ve been able to direct the third part of Ripatti’s social trilogy on the big stage this time. There, the small person and the larger structures surrounding him become tangibly visible. Despite the coronavirus, the work has been inspiring and even hilarious, thanks to the play’s brilliant ensemble and big-hearted technology on the big stage,” says director Heikki Kujanpää.
City worker Mikko Räsänen has experienced a great loss and is trying to cope with his everyday life with his 18-year-old son Aapo. The renovation of the city’s water supply is underway, but the project is being sold to the public as a bicycle path. Service designer Lasse Kosonen is preparing a webcast to be filmed at the site at the mayor’s request. Since the bicycle path promised to the city residents is not yet ready even a metre, the foreman orders that a temporary bicycle path be built to be demolished immediately after the incident.
The role of Mikko Räsänen is played by Martti Suosalo and the other roles are played by Rauno Ahonen, Lumi Aunio, Pekka Huotari, Sanna-June Hyde, Paavo Kääriäinen, Martti Manninen, Vappu Nalbantoglu, Maksim Pavlenko, Jari Pehkonen and Raili Raitala.
An impressive and impressive construction site will be built on the big stage. The soundscape and music composed by Timo Hietala and interpreted by musician Joakim "Jusu" Berghäll with virtuosic various instruments, from grand piano to bicycle pump and road drill, complete the theatrical experience.
The set design of the play was designed by Antti Mattila and the costumes by Elina Kolehmainen. The lighting design is by Petteri Heiskanen, the sound design by Eero Niemi and the video design by Toni Haaranen and Patrik Åhlgren. The camouflage was designed by Jutta Kainulainen.
Mika Ripatti has written scripts for films, TV series and plays since the early 90s. Mikko Räsänen’s Future is the third part of a trilogy of plays set at the Ripatti construction site. The previous films, There’s no Harri (2012) and The Problem of Seriousness (2016), premiered at Studio Pasila. As his day job, Mika Ripatti works as a foreman in the construction of urban engineering for Stara, the City of Helsinki’s construction services.
Heikki Kujanpää has written plays and scripts for television and films, as well as directed plays, films, TV series and radio plays. Kujanpää’s previous productions at the Helsinki City Theatre are The Funniest Man in Finland (2017), which he also co-wrote with Mikko Reitala, and Gas, Inspector Palmu! (2018).
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Mikko Räsänen’s Future premiere 11.3.2022 on the big stage of the Helsinki City Theatre (Eläintarhantie 5)
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