Review: Rakastunut Shakespeare
Entertainment for all the money
The Helsinki City Theatre’s play Shakespeare in Love offers eye candy, speed and dangerous situations and, above all, the poetic text of the lyricist Shakespeare.
Do you remember the film version of this play from twenty years ago, which once won seven Oscars?
The play is about Shakespeare, who struggles with his texts, something should be done, but the text doesn’t really take off. At the beginning of the rehearsal of a totally unfinished play, the writer is still writing the play. The play is Romeo and – not Juliet, but – the pirate’s girl Esther. The plot of the unfinished play takes a new direction when the noble Viola infiltrates the theatre troupe dressed as a man. This has really been impossible in Shakespeare’s time, because men played all the roles. At that time, women were forbidden to perform on the theatre stage.
In the play, Shakespeare falls fiercely in love with Viola. So how will it turn out? Will they get each other? It’s worth going to see, so I’ll leave it unrevealed.
My imagination starts to run wild. Could this have really happened?
Shakespeare in love is fast-paced and entertaining. The Finnish translation is going well. Kari Arffman’s direction is successful, as is the casting.
Miila Virtanen may not say anything to many people, but this name is worth paying attention to. Her theatre-loving Viola is believable. I would also like to thank Heikki Ranta, who plays Shakespeare. Heidi Herala’s breastfeeding is a delicious, fine performance. Guaranteed Herala. It is also worth paying attention to Rauno Ahonen’s Fennyman usurer – above all, the voice. Oh, the fun! Helena Haaranen’s Queen Elisabeth I is gorgeous.
Nowadays, many plays set in past decades and centuries have been costumed and staged in a suggestive way, to put it mildly. That’s why I was extremely happy about Katariina Kirjavainen’s set design and Elina Kolehmainen’s costumes.
By the way, it’s worth buying the manual. It contains good information about the Shakespeare era. In addition, wonderful pictures of the play. With it, you can still enjoy what you have seen afterwards.
Shakespeare in Love is high-quality theatrical revelry, high-quality entertainment.
When I had written this review of the play, I read the review in Hesar. With my eyes wide open in amazement, I read the text. It occurred to me that it was as if we had been watching a different play. I didn’t experience any low-end humour or lack of rhythm. Or did the critic consider a male actor standing on stage “naked” dressed in a to be low-end humour? Of course, it’s good to remember that criticism is just one person’s opinion – just like this post is. You should not draw hasty conclusions, but the best thing to do is always to go see a play, film or listen to a concert yourself and form your own opinion.