Norra Skåne 100420
By: YVONNE ERLANDSSON
Helen Sjöholm flew straight from the “Kristina”-concert in London last week to Hamburg, where filming of “Simon and the oaks” is in progress. Sweden’s big musical star has been busy lately. This weekend she travels to Skåne for five sold-out concerts as the Malmö fire brigade Band celebrates their 100th anniversary at the Malmö Opera.
In “Simon and the oaks”, the movie based on Marianne Fredriksson’s novels, Helen Sjöholm has the female leading role as Simon’s mother, Karin. She does not take a single note throughout the film.
– It’s great fun, a whole new way to work for me, says Helen on the phone from Hamburg during a break in the filming. She has certainly worked with film before, including “As it it in heaven”.
– But this is a bigger role and it feels like a huge challenge. On the whole, I think that this year has offered me so many exciting events. The “Kristina” concert in London last week and now this movie role is a bit of what I dreamed of to try. In addition, expect an exciting thing to happen at the City Theatre in Stockholm in the autumn: “Aniara”. Overall I feel like this is my most exciting working year since the “Kristina from Duvemala” premiere in Malmö.
After the acclaimed “Kristina” concert in London on Wednesday Helen had booked an early plane to Hamburg the following day.
– Sure, you notice that the flight ban affects project like this, but I was lucky. My plane was delayed and was leaving ten to eleven. At eleven o’clock they shut Heatrow. “Simon and the oaks” set in 1939-1950.
– It’s like we moved back to that time, 70 years, by air suspension.
Despite her busy schedule Helen Sjöholm is looking forward to coming to Malmö Opera and Fire Brigade Band Jubilee.
– There is always a welcome return. I have worked with them since I arrived in Malmo 16 years ago and it is always fun.
Did you get to decide yourself what to sing?
– There is a desire and I am doing it. There will be songs from both “Kristina” and “Chess” and maybe a tune that both the audience and I enjoy doing.
I read in the tabloids that you are finished with Kristina, but we still hear the songs?
– I will never feel complete with this music and concerts in London and New York with Kristina in English has become something of a revival. The songs have been given new life. However, I do not think I will do it more on stage.
So if there is a production in London, we will not see you there?
– I’m getting too old. There must be new “Kristinas”, and there will be very soon, in Finland where they set up the musical.
What has it meant for you to do concerts with “Kristina” in New York, USA? Has it generated other offers?
– I’ve got a whole new group of friends in the U.S; I have really come to know great people. New York generated London; it feels great to have experienced Carnegie Hall and Royal Albert Hall.
Helen looks forward to coming back to the Malmö Opera scene very much.
– And to see Marianne Mörck, Christer Nerfont, Fredrik Lycke and all the others again. It will be wonderful! Jubilee concerts will take place at the Malmö Opera Friday, Saturday and Sunday.