Review: Isät ja pojat

Strongly Russian in Helsinki

The crowning glory of the recent premieres at the Helsinki City Theatre is <B<Kari Heiskasen Fathers and Sons, a play by Irish dramatist Brian Friel (b. 1929; his works have been seen in Finland, e.g. The Harvest Festival) based on Ivan Turgenev’s novel first published in 1862. The drama, which talks about the generation gap, the Russian national character and the emerging winds of change, is the best of Heiskanen’s recent works.
The play begins when two fanatical students, Arkadi Kirsanov (Sami Hokkanen) and Jevgeni Bazarov (Kari-Pekka Toivonen), arrive at Arkadi’s homestead at the beginning of the summer holidays, where they are greeted by Arkadi’s father Nikolai (Kari Heiskanen), Uncle Pavel (Ilkka Heiskanen) and his father’s young lover Fenitshka (Sanna Majuri). In addition, the viewer gets to know the servants of the house (e.g. the excellent Jyrki Nousiainen).

Arkad’s father, Nikolai, is one of the typical representatives of the Russian upper class, a somewhat impractical and somewhat inept aristocrat, who nevertheless has a liberal attitude towards new ideas. A little later, we are also introduced to Jevgen’s father Vasili (Seppo Maijala) and mother Arina (Heidi Herala). Unlike Nikolai Kirsanov, Vasily Basarov is a practical man of action, a country doctor, a pragmatist who believes in the continuous development of the world but often resorts to traditional methods in his actions.


In addition to the dramatic dimension of fathers and sons, the tension between women and men is also introduced. In addition to the above-mentioned women, the rich young widow Anna Odintsova (Minna Suuronen), her charming sister Katja (Merja Pietilä) and the princely aunt (Eeva-Liisa Haimelin) are added to it. And that’s where the favorite starts to flutter; This brings us to one of the great themes of the work, love.

Skilled actors throughout, Hannu Lindholm’s exquisite, airy set that skilfully utilizes the revolving stage, Maija Pekkanen’s magnificent period costumes, as well as the rest of the technically conjured up execution, lights, sounds, music, everything works like a well-oiled and almost silent machine. The viewer can lean deep into their armchair-like lazy castle and enjoy the twists and turns of the dramatic story.