Nyhetsmorgon featured rehearsals and preparations for the run of Kristina från Duvemåla in Helsinki this morning. You can view the programme on TV4 Play here – be aware, the programme takes a while to load up:

Translated from the Kristina website is the following explanation of the show’s contents and below is a link to watch the programme: Sweden’s TV4 sent Jesper Borjesson over to Finland to do a twenty-minute long feature about Kristina. But also to inform you that there is a Swedish national stage in Helsinki, which plays only in Swedish. But it is clear that there was a musical that attracted Sweden’s famous TV show host with a cameraman to Finland.

In the feature Assistant Director Maria Sid showed TV4 around the newly renovated theatre. She said: “It’s so easy to work with them, they are so creative. The process IS very creative. If we want to change anything it will be for the better. Kristina is constantly evolving. It is a beautiful whole, we are creating.

My problem is I always want to start crying in the stalls. When I work, I often get very involved and concerned… it’s so beautiful the clocks stop”, laughs Maria Sid.

Further on in the programme, Bjorn and Benny talk of what a privilege it is to re-establish an acquaintance with Kristina at the Swedish Theatre. “It’s a great theatre! It has the kind of acoustics that you can perform and not require any amplification system if you wish. It’s pretty nice. We thought at that a space with 600 seats is too small. But it was Johan Storgård who did not give up [in attempts to bring Kristina to Finland]”, says Benny.

“Yes, and it was also one of the reasons why we became interested. They are extremely good at exporting to the east here. And we imagine that there is an audience to the east who might be more willing to embrace a story that is a bit heavier”, fills in Björn.  Swedish Theatre’s production company has the rights to Kristina in a number of countries in the East.

Benny Andersson describes Broadway as “one big jukebox.” He doubts that it is possible to go to New York with such a heavy show as Kristina, in a sense, is. He argues that the drive to the east is probably the right move to make.

Emigration is constantly happening/evolving. Finnish and Swedish men and women can reflect on Kristina and Karl Oskar’s life and empathise with those who move here.

For it was just the same for them. That way, I think this story never loses topicality, says Bjorn.

They note that it was over twenty years ago they began working on the story of over 2000 pages.

“It’s such a great story. It was the only reason we did this – it was such a fanstacally strong story,” says Benny. – Probably the strongest story in Swedish history perhaps, fills Bjorn in.

Jesper Borjesson also interviews Maria Ylipää, Robert Noack and Oskar shows excerpts from the rehearsal on stage. And Björn and Benny must sign the ABBA dolls as one of theatre’s restaurateurs suddenly holds out. Lucky she was strolling away with the dolls in the back pocket.

The duo revealed that they are always a little nervous about the premiere and end the interview by stating:  – “One thing that is nice is – that with this ensemble there is no-one to worry about. Not anybody anywhere. It’s like a hot knife through butter. The whole gang is fanstastic”, says Benny.

Related link:

• Nyhetsmorgon
• Kristina.fi