Review: Yksi mies, kaksi pomoa

Cutting corners
And fun as fun!


As a director, Neil Hardwick is strong in British and Finnish comedy as well as when working on music productions. Now “Niilo” has hurt many men in the industry, because this One man, two bosses is a filli farce on top of the film, so you don’t have to wonder why the people wander to the “lines”. Hameln’s famous pipe piper will be beaten by The Brighton Peers orchestra in the 60s, conducted by Lasse Hirvi and with Jiri Nikkinen as the soloist.

Richard Bean’s play is based on Carlo Goldoni’s comedy The Servant of Two Masters from the 18th century. The classic’s snacks are hearty, and they are enjoyed in the performance
with a good appetite in Brighton in 1963. The timing is purposeful, as at that time they were already looking for a kick for a phenomenon called The Beatles. The music composed by Grant Olding has a compelling echo of the epoch, and as a performer, the band The Brighton Peers performs their task with skillful lightness and admirable confidence in their own space, not hiding in the curtains.

The pace is not at all hindered – on the contrary – by reminding us of the commedia dell’arte genre, which has been influenced by acting education throughout the ages, for example, when improvising or typing characters. The result is an insightful entity that springs from the background and is able to draw the audience into the shared experience without reservation. On a big stage, you do a big thing, you act with devotion. And in the face of such a thing – under favorable conditions – the audience has been sold. The director has lured his team to go crazy, sometimes even to break the illusion and (supposedly) draw the viewers directly into the action. That I’m in the same boat here.

With Santeri Kinnunen’s measurements, the title character’s costume has become exemplary. His Francis could very well “hire” a couple more bosses, yes enough in terms of brevity and flexibility. The verbal skills produce sweet laughs, a few people in the hall are about to choke from time to time… The stage movement with its falls, falls and even worse grips than the earwig is fast-paced, and the old waiter Alfie – in the style of dance artist Tommi Huovinen – makes the downright impossible as he balances with his trays folded almost in half and dives headfirst dangerously into the traps of the stage.

Sanna-June Hyde is irresistible in her role as a blonde, her Pauline has gunpowder even if she is not a gunpowder inventor. Rauno Ahonen turns his role as a father into a snappy, honest-looking crook, while many others are basic honest people who look like crooks, or whatever it was. Young love flares up – will it find its way, let’s not go and reveal a predictable plot. But in the role performances, there is no lack of faith in oneself and the spirit of execution. The costumes are eye-candy, nostalgia and ingenuity. And of course, the set design is in Brighton…

Comedians and comedians deserve their applause. And to mention the actors who show off their instrumental skills as a snack with professional musicians. A handsome feather in the cap for the humorous, Hardwick-looking directors!