Richard III

Trailer from Youtube

I saw  the Almeida theater production of Shakespeare's Richard III last week at Finnkino (part of the Event Cinema shows this year). The play was directed by Rupert Goold, with Ralph Fiennes as the man himself and Vanessa Redgrave as Queen Margaret.

There's been some speculation on whether the historical Richard really was the villain he's painted, but Fiennes gave us a truly despicable Richard to loathe. His Richard III didn't plot and manipulate as much as threatened and took what he wanted. Fiennes emphasised the character's brutality, especially towards women, and his cold stare makes you shiver. There isn't any redeeming characteristic in this Richard, nothing to sympathise with.

The production began with the exhumation of Richard's bones at the archaeological dig site in 2012, and then shifted back in time. The costuming was mostly modern day, with some armor thrown in. I felt they used the modern setting well, and there were some funny moments, especially with the cell phones.

The cast gave fantastic and moving performances. In addition to Fiennes, I really enjoyed Redgrave's Queen Margaret and Susan Engel as Richard's mother.

My favorite Richard III is still the nineties Ian McKellen movie version, but this one was well worth seeing. I have the Hollow Crown version waiting, but I haven't gotten around to watching it yet. It will be fun to compare performances when I do.

At the Theater: Robin Hoodin Sydän

Image from http://www.logomo.fi/

We saw Robin Hoodin Sydän (The Heart of Robin Hood) at Logomo yesterday. The play had a new take on the legend, with Robin Hood just robbing the rich but not giving to the poor. Enter Maid Marion,  the Duke of York's daughter, who wants to join the outlaws and help the people suffering under heavy taxes levied by Prince John. Marion is pretty kickass, but Robin doesn't let her into his boys' club. Well, Marion dresses up as a man, takes her trusty servant, and starts a competing outlaw business, and so "Martin of Sherwood" is born.  She gives her takings to the poor, though. Prince John arrives with a plan to marry Marion, and high jinks ensue, with a side of personal growth for Robin, of course.

A word of warning: the play's creators were inspired by Game of Thrones, so are some strong scenes in this. The recommended age limit is seven, but I'm not sure every seven-year-old would be okay watching this. One guy gets an arrow in the eye, the characters talk about murdering children, and the kids get kicked and dragged around by the hair. And . . . bits get cut off, not to be too spoilery.

The play had some awesome sword-fighting sequences, and I liked the sets and costumes. The cast gave a good performance, especially the kids, but I still felt that something was off a little. Sometimes you get so caught up in the story that you forget you're watching a play, but that didn't happen this time. I had a hard time putting my finger on what exactly was the problem, because I liked the play overall, but after discussing it with Hubby, I think it comes down to a matter of tone. This was a play aimed at children ( I think?), like the stuff they do at  summer stock theater, and there were physical gags and plays on words and actors hamming it up, all the stuff you'd expect. But then there was also the psycho Prince John (think Joffrey at his worst), and the a-bit-too-realistic violence.  There were a lot of kids in the audience. I think the thought of "should they be seeing this?" jolted me out of the play a few times. Maybe if this had been a production for adults, it might have been different. (Taking off my big, flowered bonnet now. The word for middle-aged ladies saying "but what about the children!?" is kukkahattutäti "flower-bonnet lady" in Finnish.)

Did you see the play? What did you think? Do we have matching bonnets, or were you fine with it?

Mermaids and Vampires in Helsinki

Image from http://oopperabaletti.fi//

Whew, what a busy weekend! Hubby and I took the train to Helsinki to see The Little Mermaid at Kansallisooppera on Friday. Another beautiful performance from the Finnish National Ballet.  I was quite exited about it, because this was the first ballet I've seen that utilises 3D-glasses! And it did work, quite well, actually. The 3D added a certain depth to the stage, and I'm sure the little ones loved seeing the turtles and sharks swim into the audience. I'm glad they didn't use it too much, though, as it could easily distract from the the dancing.  Overall, I loved the sets and costuming, but I did have a minor quibble: what was up with the sea witch's costume? A tutu? What were they thinking? She looked like Nosferatu in drag. While I enjoyed The Little Mermaid a lot, this wasn't quite up to The Snow Queen, which will be back this December, yay!

Most of the performances are sold out, but they're showing the ballet live on Friday, April 22nd at 19:00 on their web service. Best of all, it's free! I'm not sure if it'll work for anyone outside Finland, though.  

                        

Before the show, we had dinner at Ravintola Kuu (The name means "moon" in Finnish). The restaurant's been up and running since the sixties. It has a retro, Mad Men vibe; a perfect place to kick back after work and sip a Manhattan cocktail. And the food was amazing. I had their goat cheese salad and the risotto, with a kind of deconstructed carrot cake thing for dessert. Everything was perfectly prepared, and although the menu is quite classic, the dishes had a fresh, modern twist. As a bonus, it's only a block away from the opera house, so it's very convenient for pre-opera/ballet dining.

                            

We also checked out the Japanomania exhibition at the Ateneum. Japanese culture was very much in vogue in the late 1800s, and traditional Japanese art inspired many artists of the age. The exhibition features original Japanese art and works from Nordic artists that incorporate the Japanese aesthetic. Well worth a look, and the gift shop had a bunch of interesting books on Japanese art and culture, as well as bento boxes and other assorted knick-knacks. 

On Saturday, I headed over to Linnanmäki for another performance of Vampyyrien Tanssi (Dance of the Vampires.) I saw it on Valentine's day, and I loved it so much that I immediately booked another ticket. (Hubby went home. He doesn't find singing and dancing vampires in leather pants all that fascinating, apparently.)

                            

The amusement park wasn't open yet, but here's a picture of a creepy woodcarving from the entrance. 

                             

                 The show's at the Peacock Theater, right next to the Sea Life aquarium. 

                            

                                                Don't you love the costumes? 

                            

               It worked out pretty well, as I got to see the alternate cast perform this time. Both casts were     

               amazing. I can't even decide which count I preferred. Jonas Saari was a bit more campy 

               with his gestures and expressions, but in a good way.

                                             (Images from the program booklet.)

                           

 Even though I didn't have time to check out any bookstores on this visit, I did manage to pick up a          

                                           few books from the museum gift shop.

                         

Melkein Geisha ("Almost a Geisha: Charming and Crazy Japan") by Minna Eväsoja, a docent  of Japanese Aesthetics at Helsinki University, is a collection of stories based on her experiences of living and studying in Japan, and the other one is In Praise of Shadows by Junichiro Tanizaki. I also got a new writing notebook in a kimono print and some more blueberry tea. 

And I finished reading Wuthering Heights on the train back to Turku. I really, really hated the book, but more on that later. 

Hope you had a good weekend, too.