Review: Viimeinen suuri rakastaja

Fate knocks three times

An American middle-class white man realizes his mortality in the throes of a midlife crisis. The owner of a seafood restaurant, who is satisfied with his steady life, has no experience of women, apart from his love of high school, i.e. his current wife. Barney Cashman decides to take action.

When Neil Simon , the master of good old comedy, and director Pentti Kotkaniemi , another long-time comedy specialist, meet at the Helsinki City Theatre in a comedy about relationships, the result is guaranteed and harmless entertainment, starring a person with their human flaws and shortcomings.


The Last Great Lover premiered in New York in 1969. The direction places the events strictly at the time of the play’s birth, both in terms of set and costumes as well as the atmosphere.


Precise design

The play has a precise structure without any quirks or surprises. Cashman ends up secretly inviting three women of different ages and differences to his mother’s apartment to seduce them. Heidi Herala’s independent woman cynical in marriage, Vappu Nalbantoglu’s bimbo nightclub singer and Miina Turunen’s depressed family friend arrive in turn to make the anti-female hero’s head spin.

Of course, getting into an extramarital affair is not easy. Cashman is looking for something clean and beautiful, in the afternoon hours in his mother’s apartment. Antti Mattila has decorated the room in a fun and meticulous way with lace, rose patterns and decorative items.

Cashman is a real everyman of American comedy, ordinary and kind-hearted. Eero Saarinen , who acts in a relaxed and easy-going manner, is a perfect fit for the role. Saarinen and the women each take care of their roles professionally, but without much enthusiasm for their roles.


The Last Great Lover is a safe comedy about relatable themes. The performance takes place in a strictly limited space and in a closed and suitably distanced world. However, the horror of an unlived life evokes a recognizable laugh.