Review: Viimeinen valssi
More important than what is said is how it is said!
At least this was the case with the new production of the Helsinki City Theatre’s main stage SISTA VALSSI. (Directed by Raila Leppäkoski, script by Carin Mannheimer, premiere 21.1.2010)
The text of the play has plenty of jokes that have already been heard many times, but even the old jokes make me laugh when they are uttered by a brilliant actor.
And there are plenty of them in the LAST WALTZ.
Antti Litja, Ulla Tapaninen, Riitta Havukainen, Sara Paavolainen, Leena Uotila, Seppo Maijala and Tom Wentzel play seven elderly people from a care home for the elderly.
Each character is genuine, touching and tragic, even to the point where you feel like you’re on the verge of blood.
Leena Uotila’s demented “Inkeri” and Antti Litja’s “Olli” bleed my flesh the worst.
The inclusion of all today’s problems in the text is a-studio-class, and it becomes clear to the viewers once again what life is like in elderly care, as an elderly person or as an employee. The employees are either “crazy” when they agree to the terms of employment, or they are Estonians and in any case they burn out and the workload is unreasonable.
Relatives are not up to date and do not know how to relate to their parent who has changed due to old age.
For anyone who has worked in a nursing home, even for a while, the everyday life depicted in the play is realistic and very recognizable.
It is also quite certain that everyone sitting in the audience will be wondering which of the characters they will be in a few years’ time?
Which end to throw more; head or legs?
Either way, the vision is a bit scary.
(Personally, I found parts of the behavior of every “grandma” that fit me. Maybe Riitta Havukainen’s “Ulla” is the closest thing to my future self?)Even though THE LAST WALTZ is not only realistic and pointing, but also funny, I don’t see the play as very comforting.
On the other hand, if the play had been twisted into some unbelievable “comforting ending”, it would have been quite corny. You do leave the stands a little depressed – that is, despite the fact that you have had a good laugh.
However, all the laughter is accompanied by sadness and wistfulness.
The wistfulness was increased by Pirjo Bergström’s music and the singing parts of the “elderly”.
THE LAST WALTZ is at least controversial.
In this context, the old truth that comes to mind from somewhere is also true, that the closest to death is also the closest to life and laughter.
The characters in the play may be in the antechamber of death, but even there life involves laughter and emotions, anger, jealousy, and love. (Merja Larivaara, Sami Hokkanen, Anitta Niemi, Petri Johansson and Jonna Järnefelt perform in roles other than the elderly)