Review: Veljeni Leijonamieli

If I had to say one guaranteed tear duct opener, it would definitely be Astrid Lindgren’s My Brother Lionheart. The touching story of the two brothers will now be seen at the Helsinki City Theatre, and you shouldn’t forget your handkerchiefs at home. Tears are shed on both sides of the intermission.

Everyone knows that Raven (Alexander Wendelin) will die soon. His brother Joonata (Mikko Kauppila) knows it too, but instead of feeling sorry for him, he focuses on comforting his beloved Korppu. Big Brother tells about the wonderful Nangijala, where we live in the time of fairy tales and campfires.

Due to a tragic fire, both brothers end up living in Cherry Valley. However, great adventures do not treat them gently, and children are also required to be unwaveringly courageous.

The dolls designed by Heini Maaranen bring new dimensions to the familiar story. The soldiers marching in black spread terror, but the puppets also bring with them hilarious humour.

The Helsinki City Theatre has proven countless times that it is possible to create meticulously realistic sets for its stages.

However, set designer Vilma Mattila has chosen a different path. On stage, you can see triangular mountain slopes along which the actors climb and descend. The large, movable bricks transform into beds, sometimes into houses.

Senni Valtonen also deserves incense, as she plays the deck, key fiddle, cowhorn and accordion on stage, among other things. Just when the viewer thinks that there can’t be any new instruments left in the musician’s stash, Valtonen steps forward playing the bagpipes.

The insightful set design and masterful puppet theatre lift the familiar story to new wings that leave an everlasting mark on the viewer’s heart.

Review on the Maaseudun tuleva website.