Review: Myyrä
A LIVELY FARCE ABOUT FINLAND’S BOOM
The dramatisation of the first part of Jari Tervo’s trilogy of novels, Mole, completed in 2004, at the Helsinki City Theatre is, of course, a comedy and an exaggerated farce, but it is interesting and fascinating as a contemporary story, a key play.
Sami Keski-Vähälä’s dramatisation condenses the 544-page novel into a series of funny scenes depicting historical reality. In this case, the playful proximity of fiction and fact succeeds.
In the interpretation of Keski-Vähälä and director Milko Lehto , both the suspected activities of the “long-time President of the Republic” as a spy in a neighbouring country and the moles of the Communist Party’s nuclear leadership remain comfortably open and intriguing. Which, of course, it should be.
The farce remains under control
In the play, the nameless central character flounders at the victory march of the Whites in Helsinki in May 1918 at the age of 18. Little by little, the guy reveals himself to be very close to Finland’s long-time president Urho Kekkonen in terms of his personal history and appearance.
The genre of Mole is an over-emphasising, over-the-top farce, which succeeds simply wonderfully under the direction of Milko Lehto and in a team of skilled actors. If the viewer is able to compare the events on stage with their own memories of the 1970s or even earlier, it is fun to open up the characters in Mole’s stories from historical reality.
The main role of Mole is played by an anonymous president, who is considering his sixth term, compiling his memoirs and afterthought, and who is dismissively referred to by the leadership elite of the neighboring country as “Number Two”. The bald Antti Litja plays the role strong and strong, fierce until the dementia stage. At times, the viewer wonders if the actor is in trouble, or if they really want to tell how difficult and distressing it was for the president, who was under various pressures.
Another key character is Rauno Ahonen in the role of Supo detective Jura Karhu. One of the best roles of a clear, strong actor.
The bear is the black sheep of a powerful communist family. Milko Lehto conveys to the audience the stereotype of communists as people with personality disorders, speech defects, alcohol problems, tasteless, tasteless, unstylish wastes, in the manner of the humorous characters created by Pirkka-Pekka Petelius and Aake Kalliala . In Tervo/Lehto’s opinion, discrimination against such people was quite appropriate, the play shows.
Dad Sunny
In the play, the current president has assaulted Jura’s relatives as an interrogator of the barley. And now Jura has been commissioned by Suopo to investigate possible spy connections of the President of the Republic.
A young viewer may perceive an exaggeratedly concrete picture of the “period of stagnation” of the Soviet Union before perestroika against the historiography read in school.
Pertti Koivula Stalin is an absolutely wonderfully executed Father Sunny and Seppo Maijala’s Stepa, an incredible combination of a pseudo-ambassador who knows the perfect Finnish language and a pseudo-conqueror dreaming of the position of governor-general.
Matti Olavi Ranin Dmitri Ustinov, who visits the Tamminiemi sauna wearing a cowl cap, is wonderful, carnivalesque comedy theatre.
A little bit of a hassle
At the premiere, Jari Tervo’s flowing mass of text still seemed to be struggling in the mouths of even experienced actors.
Markus Tsokkinen’s set design is based on a simple changing image, which is transformed by the elements on the rails. The jumping scene-like nature is disturbingly stiff, especially in the second half, when you are already used to Mole’s carnivalesque style.