We Will Rock You

Finns spend their holidays at summer cottages located on one of the country’s 180,000 lakes, at the seaside, or on the many islands along the coast.  And this July was noteworthy in that for the first time ever, we experienced 21 consecutive days of temperatures of 30C (86F) or above somewhere in the country.

With many hours of daylight, summer is the time for music festivals – folk, rock, jazz, metal, classical. It is also when outdoor theater flourishes. There is a range of offerings from shows for children, to serious drama productions, to musicals performed mainly by amateurs and often students.

Thus, last week my wife and I were at the Raseborgs Sommarteater, about an hour drive from Helsinki, to attend the penultimate performance of “We Will Rock You.” On a beautiful summer evening, we joined an audience of over 1,300 (20,000 have seen the show during its 4-week run). The performers spoke in Swedish, but the songs were sung in the original English lyrics as written by Queen. A marvelous band, excellent singers, and great supporting cast provided a memorable performance.   

The theater is also noteworthy in that it is the shadow of Raseborg Castle. It was built in 1370’s as a defensive fortification to reinforce Sweden’s power on the Northern coast of the Gulf of Finland. When erected it was surrounded by water, but over time, the seas receded, which was one reason the castle was abandoned in the 1550’s. Now the sea is 2.5 kilometers away and only a small river passes by the castle. It was an abandoned site for 300 years until travelers explored the ruins in the 19^th century and restoration work started in the late 1880’s.