Review: Manillaköysi

MARINE MANILA ROPE

After the premiere ended, Veijo Meri stepped onto the stage, the applause grew louder and the audience stood up. There was a reason. Without Veijo Meri, the whole of Finnish writing could look different. Meri’s concise saying, the narrative that connects even distant things in a strange way and meanders logically uncontrollably, have already influenced many generations of writers.

Meri found her style in the Manilla Rope, which was published 50 years ago. The following happens: Joose Keppilä finds a manila rope at the front, smuggles it home wrapped around his body and is about to be crushed to death. You can’t get a novel out of this yet. Carrying a rope is just an excuse to tell and hear the most extraordinary stories.

As a novel, Manilla Rope is so loose that it does not become a complete play. Still, it can be made into a good theatrical performance, at least if you put it in the way Lauri Sipari does .

In addition to the content of the book, he has also included the writing time. It is a good solution, because Manilla Rope got its sounding board from the cultural controversy of the time between modernism in Helsinki and realism in Tampere.

When so many different elements are brought to the stage, the audience does not always know what is going on, and the performers do not pretend to know either. At times, even The Unknown is quoted and we have to admit that we are now in the wrong play. It is precisely this uncertainty that becomes a real cunning sea-likeness.

In this kind of genre, the entire cast of performers has to stretch themselves to quick role changes. And yes, they do, especially the phenomenal Jari Pehkonen. He gets to amuse the audience both as Tuomas Anhava, who directs the writer, and as a sergeant major and station commander who deals with madmen.

The duration is less than two hours and it is just right. As such, the Manilla Rope leaves you feeling refreshed.