Plenty of music and dance on offer in Helsinki

On a typical weekday evening at the height of the arts sea­son in October-November or March-April there can be as many as 30 theatre shows, 30 movies (sub-titled not dubbed), eight concerts, six dance productions, and an untold number of small-scale performances going on in different spaces around the capi­tal. These last-mentioned items might be put on for instance by the Sibelius Academy or the Theatre Academy, whose students are very active performers.

Shows in general are well-attended; the most popular theatre and opera productions are sold out for months in advance. For the last couple of years the hottest ticket in Helsinki has been at the City Theatre, where a luxury cast of four Finnish theatri­cal icons, all approaching their 80th year, has been presenting Ronald Harwood's Quartet. The production has been standing-room-only from the start, and each time a new season opens there are people lining up for tickets from the early hours of the morning they go on sale.

With good reason, Helsinki can be described as an impor­tant cultural meeting-point. Not surprisingly, the cultural fare is concentrated in indoor venues and during the cold, dark time of the year, since sunshine and rising temperatures prompt the locals to head for their summer cottages or - perversely - to take off abroad for holidays.

All the same, there are things going on in Helsinki even dur­ing the summer months. The Helsinki Festival, originally called the "Sibelius Weeks" was put into the late August/early Septem­ber slot precisely because the seaside town is then enjoying the warm, dusky evenings of late summer, a time of crayfish parties and yacht regattas.

The two-week Helsinki Festival, with its concerts, dance-and theatre productions, and art shows, is dotted around the entire city. The youngest and most visible happening is an independent urban youth gathering launched a few years back as part of the "Helsinki 2000 Cultural Capital" programme. This particular event, with a strong leaning towards street arts and dance, is held a few weeks before the festival proper, at the end of July. It also invites schoolkids during their summer vacation for breakdance courses and graffiti workshops.

One immensely popular tradition at the Helsinki Festival is "Art Goes Local", in which artists strut their stuff in downtown restaurants and watering holes.

During the summer the theatres and symphony orchestras that have been active throughout the winter and spring seasons are also officially on vacation, but every year the 18th cen­tury fortress island of Suomenlinna (now a UNESCO World Heritage site) serves tourists and the Helsinki locals with thea­tre productions, concerts, exhibitions, and restaurant soirees.

Ex. 1. Answer the questions:

1. Are the most popular theatre and opera productions sold out for months in advance?

2. Why is cultural fare concentrated in indoor venues and during the cold, dark time of the year?

3. What is the youngest and most visible happening?

4. When did Helsinki Festival "Art Goes Local" begin?

5. When are the theatres and symphony orchestras officially on vacation?

Ex. 2. Remember the following words and word combinations:

the arts sea­son; theatre shows; well-attended; theatre and opera productions; people lining up for tickets; breakdance courses; graffiti workshops; popular tradition; to serve tourists and the Helsinki locals with exhibitions.

Ex. 3. Make-up sentences using the following words. The first word is underlined.

1. The City Theatre, ticket, hottest, Helsinki, the, at, has, been, in.

2. The Helsinki Festival, called, is, “Sibelius Weeks”, the.

3. 1995, been, since, on, This, going, has.

4. favourites, programme, several, from, The, include, will, the, past.

5. performers, active, are, very, Theatre Academy’s students.

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