The roles of The Little Mermaid, who returns to the stage, will be played by familiar faces and new stars

The role of Princess Ariel is played by the magnificent Yasmine Yamajako, who has previously been seen on the stage of the Helsinki City Theatre in the lead role of High School Musical. The role of Prince Erik will be played by Martti Manninen, who has already excelled in the same role before. Other roles are played by Samuli Kakko (Sebastian), Sanna Saarijärvi (Ursula), Mikko Vihma (King Triton), Lauri Mikkola (Kiero), Antti Timonen (Liero), Tuukka Leppänen (Skuutti), Tuomas Uusitalo (Chef Louis) and Pertti Koivula (Yrjö). We are still looking for a child actor for the role of Ariel’s fishing friend Splash, and the role can be applied for until 19 February.

“I’m extremely happy that The Little Mermaid is swimming back to Helsinki! Some of the roles were now recast and the new performers have big tails to fill, as the original performers did a really great job. I’m looking forward to seeing what kind of handprint the new creators will leave on this fairytale-like musical that is so dear to us Nordics. The bright and gorgeous Yasmine Yamajako was chosen for the lead role, who has just the right rebellious spirit, sensitivity and depth for this role. He also has an overwhelmingly beautiful voice, which plays an important role in this story, and it enchants both Prince Erik and us viewers,” says director Samuel Harjanne.

“As a child, I fell in love with the wonderful music and undersea world of The Little Mermaid, but as a teenager, I had conflicting feelings about Ariel being willing to give up her voice for the sake of the prince. I saw the musical on HKT in 2019 and realized that Ariel is a much more multidimensional character. She is not a perfect fairytale princess, but a relatable character who also shows incompleteness. Flight and singing exercises have started and my motivation to practice is really high, because in performances I want to focus on expression and storytelling instead of technique,” Yasmine Yamajako says.

The musical, which has been a huge success with audiences and received rave reviews, is directed by Samuel Harjanne. The conductor is Risto Kupiainen. The Finnish translation is by Reita Lounatvuori and Hanna Kaila. The lighting designer is William Iles, known from many HKT musicals, and the sound designer is Kai Puotanen. The camouflage and hairstyles were designed by Milja Mensonen. The costumes for the ensemble of more than 30 people were designed by Pirjo Liiri-Majava and the magnificent set design by Peter Ahlqvist. The stage will also feature video projections designed by Toni Haaranen and demanding and spectacular choreographies by Gunilla Olsson-Karlsson.

Once again, there will be amazing flight technology and dolls from the makers of the Star Wars films. James Veitch and Nick Porter, experts from the renowned Flying by Foy, have visited the pilots. The dolls related to the characters of the underwater world were designed by Becky and Paul Vincett, a top professional duo from the British company Stitches and Glue.

Based on H.C. Andersen’s classic fairy tale (1837) and the beloved Disney animation (1989), the Disney musical The Little Mermaid (2008) is written by Doug Wright, composed by Alan Menke, and lyrics by Howard Ashman and Glenn Slater.

The re-premiere of The Little Mermaid on 17.8.2023 on the big stage of the Helsinki City Theatre (Eläintarhantie 5). Tickets: children’s ticket 44 €, student ticket 44 € (Mon-Thu), pensioner ticket 85 € (Mon-Thu), basic ticket 88 € #pienimerenneito @hktfi

Helsinki City Theatre ticket sales and customer service by phone (09) 3940 22 Mon–Fri 9 am–5 pm. Ticket offices First line 2, Mon-Fri 12 noon–5 pm, Eläintarhantie 5, Sat (on performance days) 11 am–6 pm and always one hour before the performance and Lippu.fi, Mon–Sat 9 am–9 pm, Sun 10 am–6 pm, tel. 0600 900 900 (2 €/min + local network charge) www.hkt.fi

In the photo of the press release, Yasmine Yamajako and Martti Manninen. Photo by Cata Portin.

Further information, media ticket reservations and interview requests:
Kaisa Pelkonen, Communications Manager, kaisa.pelkonen@hkt.fi, 040 552 3788
Helsinki City Theatre, Ensi linja, 00530 Helsinki