Review: Meidän poika

Ville’s long downward spiral

When there is a shooting at a school or an explosion in a shopping centre, the question immediately arises: “Why?”. The culprits for the senseless act are sought from home, experienced losses, mental health problems, the media, and the too lax availability of weapons and explosives.

Pasi Lampelan Our Son , written and directed for the Helsinki City Theatre, is a topical and fresh performance. It brings Ville, who embarks on a desperate act instead of theories, very close to the viewer. Ville is not a monster, but a smart boy who could live in the same apartment building or sit in his own children’s class.

Hannes Suominen Ville is a bony, a bit clumsy guy, who has already made it to the matriculation examinations. The father has died, the family is formed by the mother (Merja Larivaara) and there are no friends. Ville has been bullied throughout his school years. There is a lot of anger and distrust in him, but he is not aggressive, but withdrawn even when irritated.

Our son doesn’t answer the question of why Ville chooses the path of destruction, why it seems to promise even a moment of power, strength and freedom.

Ville’s spiral is attempted to be understood by a sympathetic police officer (Rauno Ahonen), who himself suffered from the pain of the world in his youth, and Jenni (Elina Hietala), who has known Ville since childhood. The mother is confused. What is happening, to what depths is the boy slipping, and will there never be a long-awaited reward for all the effort and perseverance?

Our son deals with familiar themes. What speaks to Ville is the ordinariness that comes close to him. The stage is bare and white, sometimes limited by lights. Against this simplistic environment and Lampela’s scantily pertinent text, the acting of Jenna and her mother sometimes feels oversized. Less would have been more effective.

Markus Riuttu is excellent as Aleks, who bullies Ville. There’s something about Ville that makes him something he’s not. The bully escorts Ville over the line after which there is no turning back.

Kari Mattila as her mother’s boyfriend and Vappu Nalbantoglu as Ville’s online acquaintance also get to witness Ville’s increasingly distressing cycle.

Hopefully, our son will increase understanding and caring. Accusations and stoning will not get you far.