Anna E. Karvonen – research, singing, violin, production Milla Viljamaa – composing, piano, harmonium, singing, coding Elsa Saisio – dramaturge, directing, singing, monologues Ina Niemelä – space, lighting and projection design Satu Riikonen – costume design Ville Liukkonen – studio recoding and live sound
Song texts – Marja-Leena Mikkola, Pirkko Saisio, Kanerva Pasanen, Inka Nousiainen, Mercedes Bentso and Trad.
Supported by Finnish Cultural Foundation, Yhteishyvä, Music Theatre Kapsäkki
Premiere 8.2.2019 at Music Theatre Kapsäkki Duration 2 hours with intermission Performance language Finnish
The theatrical concert is a time travel in 101 years into the lives of women in Helsinki. Monologues, pictures from photo archives: Helsinki City Museum andFinnish Wartime Photograph Archive, new and old folk songs form an emotional and rich documental journey where stories of different generations connect. Today’s artists bring the voices of women to be heard and remembered.
On stage – Kaisa Leppänen, Jarkko Niemi, Annika Poijärvi, Tatu Mönttinen, Sara Melleri ja Saara Kotkaniemi. Director – Sini Pesonen Writer – Jussi Moila Music and sound design – Pauli Riikonen and Juho Alajuuma Choreography – Sonya Lindfors Lighting and video design – Ina Niemelä Costume design – Henna-Riikka Taskinen Set design – Salli Kari and artist Jani Leinonen.
Madonna is a carnivalesque performance about feminism, femininity, motherhood and roles in a nuclear family and in a society.
On Stage – Pia Andersson Writing – Laura Gustafsson Music and sounds – Tuomas Hautala Directing – Sini Pesonen Lighting and video desing – Ina Niemelä Costume design – Tellervo Syrjäkari Scenography – Tellervo Syrjäkari and Ina Niemelä
Premiere 9.9.2017 at Teatteri Jurkka Performance language Finnish #kikkafanclub
Photos – Marko Mäkinen
Kikka Fan Club is a tribute to a childhood’s idol who taught us, the working group, then, and even more so now, about play, joy, and fun.
Kikka (1964–2005) is a Finnish singer who was at the height of her fame in the early 90’s. Even though her popularity she was also much belittled in media. What we today may interpret more as a joyful performance of female gender, was at her time noted as something obscene and cheap, and she was often reduced as a woman who uses her sexuality in order to attain publicity.
Kikka Fan Club is not a biography. Through Kikka’s character the monologue studies mechanisms of play (in every sense of the word), the inevitability of decay, and person’s freedom to be a multitude of things.
Soundscape composed by Tuomas Hautala is influenced by Kikka’s original songs but also by classical music. Sparkling, anti – Aristotelian structure of the performance is inspired by the structure of a symphony – and perhaps a bit by female orgasm.
Kikka Fan Club, Marko Mäkinen (2017)
Synopsis by L. Gustafsson
1. Act
The actress pays homage to Kikka. She talks about playing. We hear a monologue of author Pekka Hiltunen on how he and his boyfriend went to an extra modest Kikka Fan Club meeting in the early 90’s, them and Kikka being the only grownups in the place. Kikka dreams of success. At the peak of her success she also has to face contempt, depreciation, and misogyny. On a video the director talks about body image issues and how she idolized Kikka as a child.
A reconstruction of a TV show Kikka attended the time everyone in Finland knew her. The interviewer talks about Kikka’s male fans, who masturbate in her concerts, and finally calls her a slut (although he explains that it’s not him who feels that way, but other people). Kikka defends herself: why couldn’t a woman be both beautiful and talented – why can’t one’s identity be seen in all of its diversity.
In a video the working group perform Kikka inspired dance. Kikka performs her most famous song, then she analyzes the lyrics: not only can they be interpreted as concerning sex, a whole different levels of aging, being a woman, and making a career as a female artist, can be read into the text.
2. Act
On a video the playwright talks about her inability to resist the prevailing beauty standards, and how she wishes, that someone would have told Kikka that it’s OK to be many things at the same time.
An announcement that Kikka has died. Kikka comes to stage older than in the first act. She talks with drag artist Pola Ivanka about the occasion Pola met her the last time. A monologue in which she both excuses and defends her artist persona. She tells that she’s more than the media has claimed her to be. She’s grateful to her fans. A Kikka inspired song that the working group wishes Kikka accepted, maybe would’ve even performed.
On Stage – Iida-Maria Heinonen, Essi Hellén, Milla Kangas, Elina Keinonen, Niina Koponen, Karoliina Niskanen and Emmi Parviainen Director – Essi Rossi Dramaturgy – Iida Hämeen-Anttila (Based on novel by Monika Fagerholm) Set and video design – Milja Aho Costume design – Henna-Riikka Taskinen Lighting design and trailer video – Ina Niemelä Sound design – Pauli Riikonen and Ina Aaltojärvi
Production – Teatteri Takomo, University of Arts Helsinki, Aalto University
Premiere in Teatteri Takomo 2012 Performance language Finnish
