Review: Veljeni Leijonamieli
The brave brothers of Lionheart
The writer Astrid Lindgren (1907-2002) did not shy away from bold subjects, which in her time were even radical and difficult. He dealt with death particularly well in his novels Mio, My Son Mio and My Brother the Lionheart. The latter of these will now be given an impressive interpretation on the big stage of the Helsinki City Theatre.
The tear ducts of the viewers – me and also the ten-year-old boy sitting in front of me – open up in the very first scene, where big brother Joonatan comforts his terminally ill little brother Korppu. Jonathan promises never to leave his brother and describes to him the wonderful land of Nangijala. However, it so happens that Jonathan first dies in a fire while trying to save Korppu from the flames.
As the story progresses, you die many times, but you also live and fight for good against evil, as has been told in the best fairy tales of all time. I was reminded of the major performance of The Lord of the Rings that I had seen many times in Tampere in early autumn. In it, the kingdom of evil is in Mordor, in the dragon Katla in the mind of my brother the Lion, whose power threatens the inhabitants of Nangijala. They are divided into the people of Cherry Valley and Rose Valley. Black soldiers, who represent terrible evil and terror, have taken away the freedom of the people of Rose Valley and strangled their living conditions to a miserable level. An adult viewer does not need to look for topical symbolism in this imagery. Fortunately, the dragon Katla in the play is not brought as a monster the size of a stage, but by means of puppet theatre.
Director Jakob Höglund captures the delicate tones of the story and also the evil that must be overcome. Mikko Kauppila is the charismatically strong older brother Joonatan and Alexander Wendel’s sensitive-faced little brother Korppu. Both have a role to play in supporting and encouraging the other in moments when faith falters and evil feels overwhelming to overcome.
Sanna Majuri, Tuukka Leppänen, Kai Lähdesmäki, Kari Mattila, Unto Nuora … I could list the whole ensemble, so nicely the group throws themselves into the story! The plot is also carried forward by the incredibly skilled musician Senni Valtonen, who plays the concert kantele, folk flutes, clarinet, bagpipes and many other instruments! Stefan Johansson has composed the music for the performance and created the sound design, which is absolutely great.
Even though we are on the giant stage of the City Theatre, Vilma Mattila’s set design is not ostentatious. An essential part of the performance is Heini Maaranen’s puppet design and also the white origami pigeons, these messengers and why not also the symbolic doves of peace.
When the starry sky shines over the brothers of Lionheart, we are forced to believe in the victory of good in this world of ours as well. Without hope, we have nothing.
Review in the Alice’s Adventures blog.