Kurt Nuotio

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Interview : Kurt Nuotio director of "Cherbourgin sateenvarjot"

When and how did you decide to become a director?
I was actually studing music at Sibelius Academy, and studying in Helsinki University Art History, filosofy etc and became member of the Helsinki Student Theatre. I didn´t make the decision; other people made it. I was invited to make a play to a big amateur scene in the countryside, and then I stayed working with amateurs directing then for two years. My studies were cut of of course. And after some years and studying theatre I was asked to be asisstantdirector in Helsingin Kaupunginteatteri (The Municipal Theatre of Helsinki).

Why did you choose theatre?
I didn´t choose the theatre, I choosed music, but theatre choosed me.
That is the way it happened.

How did you decide to adapt LES PARAPLUIES DE CHERBOURG?
The suggestions to make the play came from Asko Sarkola, the manager of the theatre. He knew I was mad in seeing films in sixties, he also know I am a romantic character, so maybe these things where the reasons why he asked me to do it.

Was the adaptation difficult?
In a way not. But the biggest difficulty was to keep the timing of the score. Our challence was in fact that: not to make music longer between different scenes. We managet it by making musicbound chorepgraphy with which we could clear up and rebuild the sceneries.

How did you choose the actors?
We had many auditions in which we tested the actors. Everyone had to be a very good singer and to have a feel for jazz. And the actors should be young, and therefore many of them are still studying in Theater Academy.

You collaborate with the choreographer Anneli Rautiainen, how do you proceed? Is it easy to combine your view of the story and her view?
We had good time in working together. Music framed all our ideas that had to match the time music was giving.

Maybe I'm making a mistake, but is it so that you had, at one point, HOUSUT POIS and CHERBOURGIN SATEENVARJOT at the same time? If so, was it difficult to handle?
Theatre was playing them at the same time but they were rehearsed after each other. And I had the summer between the directing of these two plays, so I had much time to concentrate on.

Is there a scene in CHERBOURGIN SATEENVARJOT that you particularly appreciate? Why?
I love the last scene in the play - the Esso service station. It is sad and a little bit happy at the same time. I love it.

What was the biggest difficulty in the creation of CHERBOURGIN SATEENVARJOT?
To keep the cinema music score without putting in it any extras and to get to the performance the intimacy and sensitivity the story needed.

Are you interested by the cinema?
I live in them. I make also small films and documents and have made some music videos. That means: more than interested.

Do you think that musicals are particularly made for theatre? Do they "touch" the audience in the same way when they are captured by a camera?
It depend of the art of the musical. Cherbourg is a good example of a work that maybe suites better for camera, you can use tight, close shots, of the faces, eyes and so on, and it lacks big scenes with o lot of people. But on the other hand: Moulin Rouge is wonderfully captured
by camera allthough it has very big scenes with lot of people, movements and colours

What are your actual and coming projects?
Just now I´m working for Helsingin Kaupunginteatteri´s big stage Rodgers-Hammerstein musical "Cinderella" , which has qualities that suites better for the big scene: 26 dancers, 20-man orcestra etc. Then later in spring I´m making a little new Finnish play called "Onnellisten maa" that is handling with people gettin dementia in their early years. And then I´m working with a document film telling about an older woman and the secret of her life.
Interview by Vincent Lefrançois - 2003