Svenska Teatern: gone all aggressive on language?

[Spencerville Slim]

For many years I have been enjoying the phenomenal variety of live entertainment offered in Helltown. Symphony (that Leif Segerstam . . . was he certifiable or just odd?); opera (seeing our Canadian gal, Siphiwe Mackenzie Edelmann, belting it out as Violetta in La Traviata or seeing a verrrry interesting Barber of Seville sung in Finnish), great blues scene, lesser rock ' n ' roll scene, and my favourite, the thea-tah! Seen so many good plays and only a few duds since my first visit to the old homeland in, umm, 1987 was it?

Enivei, planning another trip in May. I always check the theatre listings and tell the cousins "Get tickets to this or that show." Swedish Theatre there on the Esplanaadi always had its website in three languages. Time was, it was easier for me to read the Swedish, it being - like English - a Germanic language. Nykyään, olen ollut humalassa niin usein Hesassa, että minusta suomenkieli on helpompi. But it seems to me that the Sviidis Teatteri website is now only ruotsiksi. But then I thought, nah, probably just don't know where to find the Finnish, (or, admit it, ya poseur, the English) gateway to the site. So what's going on here? Have they gone all nationalistic about protecting the Swedish language or am I just a blockhead Anglo who doesn't know how to navigate the website?

http://www.svenskateatern.fi/sv/startsida/

BTW, not claiming to be any master of the Swedish language. I think I know 4 words: utgang, skjut, drag and ale. Oh, and Åbo. Does that count? But good ol' English musicals over the last few years have been pretty easy to follow: Sound of Music, Mary Poppins, La cage aux folles. You can keep your August Strindberg. Too heavy for me, at least in Swedish.

Little story about Ale, if I may. First time I visited Finland I was on a language course in Rauma of all places - you know, town of the pure, national-standard Finnish, easy for us furriners to understand. There was a bunch of foreign students there. Germans, Americans, Greeks, Roumanians, Russians, Hungarians, us Canadians and Brits. The English lads were obsessed with the Campaign for Real Ale (an 80s thing; you had to be there) and whenever they saw those signs in the shop windows: "Rea/Ale" they would read it it as "Real Ale!" and start voicing their opinions about how enlightened a land Finland was. Then they'd go in and pick up their Koff, or Lapin Kulta or Olvi and hold court endlessly about the wonders of these brews that, to me, tasted just like our mass-produced Canadian (and American) lager swill. What can I say? We were all very young. And drunk.

[Rosamunda]

If you go into the individual productions there seems to be English and Finnish options. So click on <Repertorar> and then choose a production eg:
http://www.kristina.fi/en/the_musical/ (the language options are on the top right-hand corner)


http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kristina_f ... em%C3%A5la
http://www.icethesite.com/2012/03/krist ... -helsinki/

[einafets]

Have you been to the theater since it's been renovated? If not, just an advice since I work there. There are a few problems with the "cheaper" places apparently. You won't be able to see anything from there is what I heard. One Kristina actress told me that her relatives came to see it and had really crappy seats until she managed to get them better ones. So you might invest in a good spot!

[Spencerville Slim]

Rosamunda and einafets, thank you very much for your help. Jep, Rosa, the show-specific pages do have the info auf Englisch. Good stuff! And I have told my sukulaiset to avoid the most cheap ass seats no matter what. Thank you, einafets. We never would have known about the obstructed views without your advice.

I guess I will be on my way to see Kristina från Duvemåla next winter. Anybody seen it? Any good?

[Rosamunda]

I might go during the summer... will let you know. Not a big fan of musicals but, I must admit, have seen Mamma Mia a few times They sort of cheer you up when you're feeling stressed out!