Review: Housut pois

Entertainment about the male crisis

The theme of “Pants off” has already travelled around and conquered the world in one form or another. It started as the New Zealand play Ladies’ Night, which has been performed at the Hämeenlinna City Theatre in recent seasons with great success with a sequel. The British made a movie based on the play, Full Monty, which was also a bull’s-eye. And now the Americans have finalised a musical based on the film, which will have its Nordic premiere at the Helsinki City Theatre.

As the story has been circulating around the world, it has been adapted to the local colour. Except, of course, no longer Finnish, even if the story would be just as at home here. Translator Mikko Koivusalo would certainly have gladly and skillfully planted the book in a small Finnish town where the factory that provided most of the jobs has just been closed.

But the rights and freedoms of major musical productions are in the pocket of a lot of money. So the main color is American, but the British tone is tight and would perhaps be a more natural object of identification for the Finnish viewer. Every time the dialogue takes us to Buffalo, Niagara Falls or talks about basketball, I find myself amazed – oh, this was America. Football, Arsenal and Sheffield would have sounded closer.

Crisis, what a crisis

Unemployment separates a man from a man’s model. The arrears of alimony threaten to separate the father from his son, the other ends up in the role of a housewife between the vacuum cleaner and the dishwashing brush, and sex with the wife is not to be tasted when the masses are in the way. In the case of a third renovator, who has been fired himself, enforcement threatens to take away the living standards of the adored little lady. Where to find help for a man’s distress?

In the first premiere at the Helsinki City Theatre, Timo Tuominen, Eero Saarinen, Antti Timonen, Toni Wahlström, Matti Rasila and Chellaf Abdeslam Langry are looking for an answer in a stripping gig. The method is quick but merciless, and you have to face your self-esteem questions in front of you. Dwelling on these things creates the warm-hearted humour of the performance.

The story is complemented by honorable motives such as the love of the father, conjugal love, and trust between the spouses. Between workouts, the right amount of sentiment is dosed. In addition, there is a modicum of minority acceptance: one gay couple and airing racist prejudices.

The performance, directed by Kurt Nuotio, is very sympathetic and the journey of the six men towards the h-moment is followed with joy. Tuominen fits the role of a loser hero both in appearance and voice, and the other roles in the occupation are equally hit.

There is also one surprise star among them: Antti Timonen has a real voice – beautiful, effortless and clean, and while the energetic jumping as Malcom also testifies to his fluent physical skills and ability to build a consistent role, you can see a musical theatre hit in Timonen.

Women in the spotlight

Often in a play with many women, a man suddenly steps out of nowhere and almost steals the whole show. Well, now the gender roles are on top: the men are undressing, and the one who threatens to collect the spots is Kristiina Elstelä, whose series of recent roles, spiced with life and humour, is continued handsomely by the self-confident pianist lady of the musical Pants Off.

Other women also play charming roles. Vuokko Hovatta is the dashing Georgie, Aino Seppo is the matter-of-fact Pam and Kirsti Väänänen flashes her sparkling comedic talents as the extravagant Vicky. Lauri Ranin, on the other hand, performs the rarely seen child role with certainty and clarity.

The theme of Pants Off has become an unusually natural musical, as a large part of the story has been told through music. There are many songs in the performance, but they do not interrupt the story, do not even complement it, but directly tell it.

OUTI LAHTINEN

Terrence McNally- David Yazbek: Pants Off, directed by Kurt Nuotio, translated into Finnish by Mikko Koivusalo, conductor Timo Kärkkäinen, choreography by Ari Tenhula, set design by Oskari Torvinen, costumes by Satu-Marja Nygren, lighting design by Kari Leppälä, sound design by Eradj Nazimov. Premieres on the big stage of the Helsinki City Theatre on 17 and 19 January 2002.