Last weekend I went to Suomenlinna open air theatre to see Midsummer Night’s Dream. That was so
good! The surroundings were perfect, the set was lovely and the Finnish
translation of the play witty and rhythmic. I also loved the costumes and
makeup. In some of the reviews I read it was claimed that the acting was a bit
plain and unsuspenseful but I don’t concur; I enjoyed the play very much. One
or two characters remained slightly flat in my eyes; it is a shame because I’ve
always found the characters very well written and I would have loved to see
their whole potential on the stage as well. Be it as it may, most of the time I
was thrilled with the performances (not that I’d know anything about theatre or
acting, I just know I enjoyed it). The way the actors used their stage was
amazing: the play took place within the stone walls of the old sea fortress and
they really utilized every hallway, arch, passage and tunnel. Also the lighting
was done very well. Suomenlinna was the perfect place for this particular play:
it has the feeling of being both inside and outside, in the past and in the
present at the same time.
Taking pictures was forbidden during the play so these are mostly from
around the island. Lovely Suomenlinna, I hope to go back there soon.
P.S. I’d imagine Suomenlinna could be a wonderful place for LARPing in
case you’re interested in that. Just saying.
P.P.S. One of the reasons I love these islands is that they remind me of
Stonehaven. Of course the rocks and ruins aren’t quite as impressive but there’s
something about the atmosphere.
