Review: De tio budorden

With Saanila and Wickström on stage, it never gets boring

At this point, neither André Wickström nor Stan Saanila are unknown figures in the Finnish humor world. If you haven’t seen them on stage, you may have seen them in the respective TV shows such as “Lilla-Onsdag” and “Nyhetsläckan”. In addition to this, Wickström also has a more hidden serious side, which can unexpectedly pop up in films of various kinds. But it is with humor as its main weapon that we know the two gentlemen best.

At the premiere of their new venture called “The Ten Commandments – or Shame on the One Who Gives Up”, we now get to see them on stage together for the first time. Admittedly, they have collaborated many times before, but not physically on stage. According to them, “The Ten Commandments” is neither stand-up nor revue, but simply a humorous performance.

What happens on stage is extremely minimalist and framed by a sparse scenography. None of them are really men of grand gestures, even if it is an exaggeration when they show what real theatre is like. Wickström and Saanila seem to be themselves for the most part, and it actually goes all the way without becoming monotonous or dead. They discuss, lecture, joke and philosophize about everything between heaven and earth. Mostly about things that make us Finland-Swedes laugh, namely ourselves.

The humorous moment, or whatever we should call it, begins with an educational review of God’s Ten Commandments and their meaning. Who does not remember the boring catechism readings and references to the meaning of the commandments? Wickström and Saanila turn the concepts upside down and put the commandments in a completely new light. After completing the introductory lecture of 22 minutes, one begins to wonder how they will now proceed? Does the show fall flat as a pancake to the ground? No, you can relax, fasten your seatbelt and surf along to Wickström’s and Saanila’s humorous universe.

It’s fun to laugh at the poor guys who grew up in the 70’s and 80’s with only two TV channels and no internet. Saanila’s theory about the humor ball and the fun, which is a bit “off”, is also spot on. They make the audience howl with laughter at Swedish with a German accent, dialects from Swedish-speaking Finland, Star Wars in an Ostrobothnian version or letters to the editor in Western Uusimaa. Personally, I had expected a little more politically scathing jokes, but the gentlemen had clearly decided to avoid the ongoing presidential election and other political actualities.

It is difficult to know how much is planned and how much is associated and improvised in the moment. It is clear that the beginning of the show with the commandments and the end with the national anthem in bossa nova time is planned, but what happens in between may possibly vary from time to time. One thing is for sure, in the company of these gentlemen it never gets boring! Unless it starts a fire, of course.