It’s not a bad idea to put on the musical “Annie” when times are tough. The musical is set in New York during the depression of the 1930s, a time that was economically challenging for many. The story of Annie is about an orphaned girl who never gives up the belief that tomorrow can be a better day. And this hope melts into the ears of those who choose to see “Annie” at the Folketeateret in Oslo. “Annie” represents a world where everything is possible, and where the power of childlike hope can, so to speak, move mountains. Parentless Annie (here played by Thelmine Vanay Olafsen) gets to celebrate Christmas with billionaire Oliver Warbucks. It changes his life – and hers. Photo: Fredrik Arff / Folketeateret Bright, professional and old-fashioned The setting at the Folketeateret is bright and happy, professional and entertaining. It contains girls with bones in their noses, suitably bad villains, a nice soundtrack and wonderful musical numbers. Annie (on the day of the message played by Leah Louise Borgen Johansen) is an exuberant and confident eleven-year-old who is easy to bond with. At the Folketeateret, they have used video as a central part of the scenography several times, and this time they hit it well. Video designer Petr Hlousek is on a team with the children when he opens the screening with a film showing a white scarf flying from the Folketeaterbygninga in Oslo in 2023 and across the sea to New York in the 1930s. In this way, the premises for a foresight from the old days are well established right from the start. When this is made so clear, it simultaneously defends some of the old-fashioned idioms, the landline, the telegram and other old things that are central parts of this vision. Agnes Naomi Mwaniki Duvold as Annie and the dog Kanutten as Sandy. Photo: Fredrik Arff / Folketeateret Thelmine Vanay Olafsen also plays Annie. Photo: Fredrik Arff / Folketeateret Life is hard when you have to wash, Annie thinks. Here played by Leah Louise Borgen Johansen. Photo: Fredrik Arff / Folketeateret Find the witch, Steenstrup! Skodespeller Henriette Steenstrup plays the role of Miss Hannigan, the manager of the children’s home where Annie lives. She is not particularly clever, nor very smart – and in this edition, not really bad at all. Because the girls at the orphanage are so cool and have so much attitude that Miss Hannigan can actually just go to bed. Steenstrup is the right person in the role, but the director has chosen to make the girls so strong and brimming with self-confidence that the drunken Miss Hannigan does not become a real threat to them. Cool gang: The girls at the orphanage have bones in their noses. Photo: Fredrik Arff / Folketeateret For example, Annie runs away at the start of the play. The rest of the gang could easily do that too. With so much willpower and vitality, it’s a shame for Miss Hannigan that they still want to stick with her. The girls at the children’s home are a cool bunch who master most things. The song and dance numbers are energetic, and the choreography lifts them up another notch. What director Samuel Harjanne meant by turning Hannigan into a slipper and the girls into a cool squad is not easy to say. The result is an imbalance between the girls and Miss Hannigan. At least they dance in their boots. Scary? Actually not. Miss Hannigan is well played by Henriette Steenstrup, but the girls go a long way. Photo: Fredrik Arff / Folketeateret And the neat storytelling falters a little at times in an otherwise good musical. For example, the Annie character is so screwed up that everything she does is right and good. When she is drawn after the escape and comes back to the orphanage, she is very content and happy to see the others. The tiny (and completely real) dog she teams up with at the start has no function in the story other than being charming. The foresight would have benefited from a few small narrative tightenings. Now it makes the set-up seem a bit smooth. All I want for Christmas is you It’s almost like a fairy tale: Through her friendship with the billionaire Oliver Warbucks (André Søfteland) she manages to influence the selfish President Roosevelt in the USA (enjoyably played by Øyvind Boye Løvold) so that he also regains his faith in tomorrow . It is questionable whether Prime Minister Støre would not have benefited from a little visit from Annie, he too. The musical artist ensemble in “Annie” offers nice dance numbers. They are an important part of the plot, and they lift the foresight. Together with the orchestra and a warm and sparkling stage, you get a little sense of Broadway. It is allowed to linger. Fine musical ensemble in “Annie” at Folketeateret. Photo: Fredrik Arff / Folketeateret “Annie” reflects our own time with high interest rates, expensive food and the feeling of not being safe. But one of the most poignant things about the musical now is seeing what a child’s life is worth, what kind of resources Oliver Warbucks puts in for Annie. When you sit and look at everything that has been done so that this one child will be well and safe – and at the same time know that many, many children now are anything but safe when the war rages, then it hurts. “Annie” insists that the child stands for progress and change if the adults listen. The musical is a much-needed story of hope in a difficult time. For those who have a tomorrow in sight, there is hope. And that’s why “Annie” makes sense to watch online now. In addition to being another very well delivered musical at Folketeateret. news reviewer Photo: Scenekvelder AS Title: “Annie” Director: Samuel Harjanne Place: Folketeateret i Oslo Date: 23 November 2023 – 12 January 2024 Responsible producer: Karianne Jæger Choreography: Maria Wulcan Lighting design: Palle Palmé Musical director and artistic director : Atle Halstensen Cast: Thelmine Vanay Olafsen as Annie Agnes Naomi Mwaniki Duvold as Annie Leah Louise Borgen Johansen as Annie Henriette Steenstrup as Miss Hannigan André Søfteland as Oliver Warbucks Sanne Kvitnes as Grace Farrell Gunnar Eiriksson as Rooster Ida Holten Worsøe as Lily Kanutten as Sandy Ensemble: Cecilie Marjatta Valinen Ola Magnus Gjermshus Birgitte Velsvik Cornelia Børnick Josephine Gracia Fransiska Sveinall Søren Mørkrid Thøgersen Carl Martin Prebensen Helene Winter Sindre Bjørke Høyang Preben Moseid Øyvind Boye Løvold The musical “Annie” premiered at Folketeateret in Oslo on 23 November 2023. Promotional film for the musical “Annie” made by Scenekvelder AS
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“Annie” at Folketeatret – Reviews and recommendations
