Review: Salaa rakas

Delicious squirming

Helsinki City Theatre, Main Stage. Arnold & Bach: Secretly Dear. Director: Pentti Kotkaniemi. Set design: Katariina Kirjavainen. Lighting design: Markku Penttilä. Costumes: Irmeli Toivanen. Cast: Santeri Kinnunen, Heidi Herala, Asko Sarkola, Sanna-June Hyde, Vuokko Hovatta, Sampo Sarkola, Petri Palo, Vappu Nalbantoglu, Pia Runnakko, Eppu Salminen, Pia Andersson (Theatre Academy).

Helsinki City Theatre’s Secretly Dear is a hilarious comedy set in Germany in the 1920s.

Sausage and mustard manufacturer Julius Seibold (Asko Sarkola) has decided to marry his business partner Max Stieglitz (Santeri Kinnunen) to his daughter. The problem, however, is that Max is not particularly presentable. He has no manners, his appearance is unkempt and he doesn’t get to brag about his previous relationships with women. Simply, Max is not interesting.

It’s not like this: you can learn manners, improve your appearance and invent the past. The sausage and mustard manufacturer takes care of it. Asko Sarkola is in his element when he creates a dream son-in-law, and hides his escapades from his wife – with very poor results, though.

Heidi Herala’s wife, Regine, is not second in debauchery. The young men in the house are not safe from this lady. Herala plays a role that makes the audience squirm for many reasons. Regine is a hilarious woman and Herala makes the most of her role.

The Seibolds’ daughter Gerty (Sanna-June Hyde) is a rather superficial 19-year-old who considers the most important quality of a man to be that other women want him too. Soon, Max’s relationship with the famous actress is “revealed” from his past. As if by magic, the man becomes interesting to say the least – in the eyes of the whole city. Santeri Kinnunen does an excellent job of navigating the dichotomy of his character. Max’s uncertainty is quite palpable and even in every moment of certainty, the undertone is a feeling of total loss. Kinnunen is absolutely funny, often even in a mimic way. The human sensitivity to the play comes specifically with Kinnunen.

The lie has short trails, so it should be clear that eventually the actress, Ria Ray (Vuokko Hovatta), will enter the picture. In order to thicken the broth, Ria’s fiancé, played by Eppu Salminen, is also mixed into the same concoction. Salminen’s character’s over-theatrical behaviour and over-puffing make the audience howl with laughter.

Sampo Sarkola also offers his share of the fun, making Heinz Fellner a first-class gig.

All in all, it can be said that Pentti Kotkaniemi’s direction works and keeps the viewers in its grip. Even at the premiere, there was no idleness, but the play went at full tempo from start to finish.

There is no point in digging for a particularly profound message about Secretly Loved One, but it is excellent as a light for darkening autumn evenings.

Katariina Kirjavainen’s set design and Markku Penttilä’s lighting create a luxurious setting for events.