A Great Review In The Paper!

Saturday 12th  of April. I got a text message from my friend Matilda saying “You have a good review in today’s newspaper :)” . So of course I had to go and buy my self a copy of today’s paper Aamulehti!

Here is  a approximate translation of the review (by me):

The writer Raymond Queneau was fond of word games, experimentalism and linguistic structure. This can also be heard in his work Exercices de style (Style exercises). A pulsating and entertaining music theatre play based on this text named Bus number 13 was performed last Thursday at Tampere Biennale. At work were pupils from TAMK’s music theatre line as well as from Tampere Conservatory, instructed by Auvo Vihro and Hannu Pohjannoro.

The sassy and crystal clear direction of Vihro didn’t fit any unnecessary moments. The actor quartet worked aptly. Antti Kerosuo made a very luscious performance, who’s personality combining melancholy and hilarity are the qualities of real comedian. The vocally diverse Tiitus Ylipää, had like Kerosua a flexible and expressive body language. Meerika Ahlqvist  and Alina Lehti glowed slightly more moderately, but dedicatedly. The musical performance of the quartet was fluent, although all four still have to work on their use of vocals. On the other hand, part of the compositions weren’t either in the right key considering their voice.

The compositions were polished and the musicians were well used, but didn’t quite succeed to achieve the level of sparkle the intricate staging had. A few of the most interesting compositions that stood out were written by Cecilia Damström, her colourful but among them selves very different and stylistically authentic Erottelua (separation),  Anglismeja (Anglicism) and Puheen osat (word classes).

The pedagogical aspects of Bus number 13 combining theatre- and music teaching should be made use of also in upcoming future.

Kirsti Holmsberg (translation by Cecilia Damström)