Review: FANNY AND ALEXANDER at Helsinki City Theatre

As always without any prologues on plot, let's dig into the review:

Our main protagonists waddle on stage with their names, which form also the title, on their hoodies. They proceed to sit in the audience, eventually climbing on stage from there. Their acting style is great as they've embodied the essence of being a child. They also have good chemistry.

The transition to the "small world" is emphasized through sound effects, planned by

Jaakko Virmavirta and Sanna Salmenkallio. She has also constructed the original music for this play. Through sound effects good rhythm is constructed throughout the performance.

The set design of the happy, lively family works very well, which is a good contrast to the gloomy and blank sets of the cold stepfather's house we get to see later. Set design is my Antti Mattila and light design, which enhances the sets essentially is by William Iles.

The director Westerberg has done well in the job of directing actors to burst energy in the family table, bringing contrast to the later silence in the Priest's table.

In the beginning of the story the children, especially Fanny (graceful Elena Leeve) works as a narrator. During Christmas she wears a big jacket which reminds me of mr. Scrooge. Later the narrators are changed to two adults that narrate the children's journey. I wondered if it had made a bigger effect if Fanny and Alexander - or at least Fanny - would have made eyecontact with the narrators.

In general I loved the symbolism of theatre and of the small world and big world. Westerberg has done a lot of dramaturgic work.

When Alexander (fragile Olavi Uusivirta) is dressed up almost as a "furry" it reminds me of another furry reference from Westerberg's Three sisters I also reviewed years ago.

The performance feels like a performance though a lot of live is brought on stage especially by the sene where Gustav (always great Santeri Kinnunen), Oscar (symphathetic Jari Pehkonen) and the Priest Edvard (charismatic Eero Aho) have a conversation. To me it felt like all the long introductions of the characters we had lead and enhanced especially this moment. The text was flowing and the actors trusted each other. Also in one small scene- I believe it was Sanna-June Hyde as Lydia - who blurted at the parties: "WhEre havE yOu beEn I've loOked fOr yoU froM evErywhEre?!" which was very relatable both as a sayer and hearer.

Now let's cut the big cake: the hand-puppets! I think Westerberg missed a great chance in terms of good and evil, feminine and masculine. Overall the handpuppets were great add to the children's worldview and how a child learns and develops. Almost in every scene the Red Riding Hood puppet represented a female character and the Wolf a male character. It was the other way in the very beginning but for example when the father dies Fanny leaves the Puppet on the Father's bed.

The symbol of Red Riding Hood and the Wolf could have been used more. What if in the scene where Edvard and Emilie (sometimes vague but throughout solid Anna-Maija Tuokko) have a conversation and Emilie sits and cries out in the chair, the puppets would have taken a human form - just like the mystical horse chess piece in Alexander's vision - behind them. Wolf could have worn a cross to represent Edvard specifically but also a Fahter symbol Fanny left behind. Does this make sense? I think it does. They could have also wondered around in the scene where Fanny and Alexander find their way out and stage is filled with walking figures.

Overall I eagerly waited for more imagination, more child's worldview that Westerberg told is going to be an important part of the show. For example the circus scene was amazing and the Pacman was OK as well, but there could have been a lot more.

One detail in symbolism was how technicians brought Fanny and Alexander at the dining table in the Priest's house as if just another prop; the Priest's honor is greater than the family's wellbeing, everything is as if a set design. Also what comes to popular culture references that Westerberg does a lot is that my partner noticed that the Jewish merchant Isak (performed effortlessly by Jouko Klemettilä) sounded exactly like Watto from Star Wars I, who is also represented as a Jewish person. Just a notice, nothing to analyze here.

I loved Rauno Ahonen as a priest in the wedding scene, he was hilaramazing (hilarious-amazing) with his voice technique.

Finally what it comes to the ending, which is otherwise beautiful and symbolic, it doesn't unfortunately bring katharsis to the pressure we've witnessed for hours upon hours. Even though lovely Kinnunen delivered a lovely monologue.

Photos: Otto-Ville Väätäinen
Review: Rosanna Ilo Liuski

To post a comment, you must register and login.