[category]
[title]
How do you describe a performance that leaves you speechless? One that says so much without uttering a single word?
Even though we are only in March, watching Helsinki City Theatre’s Out of Order brought with it a wonderful yet piercing thought: I doubt I will see anything quite as impactful for the rest of the year.
This reaction was sparked by a specific scene in the latter half – a "magnetic dance" performed by Jyrki Kasper and Aksinja Lommi. Moving with their heads pressed together, the duo followed one another in a fluidly complex sequence. It was an exquisitely skilled and hauntingly romantic portrayal of a relationship, showing how lovers both support and bind one another. It was beautiful and suffocating all at once.
How heartbreaking it felt when that connection finally broke. Just like in real life, the magnetism of love cannot be forced, and a new arrival cannot simply reignite a power that has vanished.
Or, at least, that was my interpretation. Performing on the City Theatre’s Small Stage, Out of Order does not explain itself. Instead, it invites the audience to see much more: a retro-dystopian future, echoes of the past, or even parallel dimensions. It provides the seeds for interpretation, allowing everyone to cultivate their own meaning.
The stunning choreography, performed by Helsinki Dance Company, is the work of Brazilian Fernando Melo, with the illusion-filled set design by Kalle Nio, who is also a professional magician. There is no dialogue, making the performance accessible to audiences of all languages.
According to the programme, the piece explores memory, perception, and the other imperfect ways we try to organise our lives. It declares that flaws and ‘parts of us that are out of place’ are not aberrations, but the very condition of being alive.
Before the show, I joked that this sounded like a clever insurance policy for the creators: an excuse for mistakes to simply become ‘part of the art.’
But after the curtain fell, I found myself wondering, where were the mistakes? I felt I had witnessed something perfect. Judging by the applause, I wasn't the only one.
Performances run until 27 April 2026. Book your tickets soon, as the final shows are filling up fast.