Review: Yksi mies, kaksi pomoa
Directed by Neil Hardwick, this exhilarating British comedy is set in the spirit of the 1960s.
Commedia dell’arte combined with Neil Hardwick is such a good package that you can’t help but smile with delight. The maestro has taken on Richard Beani’s play One Man, Two Bosses, which is based on Carlo Goldoni’s classic play The Servant of Two Masters. Bean has adapted the rogue comedy to Brighton, England in the 1960s. And who in Finland knows the British tradition better than Hardwick.
True to the genre, the performance is a real comedy, and there is no shortage of wacky plot twists. Wealthy Charlie (Rauno Ahonen), who is engaged in shady business, has a problem. The cute but stupid daughter Pauline (Sanna June-Hyde) should be married. Alan (Ilkka Forss), a promising young narcissistic actor, has promised to be the groom.
The wedding party is already agreed upon when Pauline’s ex, Mr. Crabbe (Anna Lipponen), shows up. The situation is strange because Mr. Crabbe is known to have just died. Crabbe is joined by his eccentric servant Francis (Santeri Kinnunen).
Once the initial confusion is overcome, it turns out that Crabbe is the dead man’s twin brother (masked, of course, because he is actually the dead man’s sister). The servant Francis is made to sort out the hassle of dowry money and postal matters. On his way, he runs into a confident Stanley youth (Sauli Suonpää), who offers Francis a small job as a helper. The greedy Francis immediately grabs the hook.
Now the servant has two bosses. And that’s where the mess comes when Stanley’s true identity and relationship with Crabbe is revealed. It’s a joyful soap opera to the core.
Radiant Kinnunen and Siikander rock
Kinnunen is an excellent choice for the lead role. He knows the twists and turns of the genre and is laid-back both physically and expressively. The lines are also funnily accompanied by inside jokes. The flap also flies perfectly with the crowd in quick throws. In his slightly too short trousers and teddyboy hair, Kinnunen is at the same time an endearing and suitably cheeky sight.
There is a partner for Kinnunen, as befits the style of commedia dell’arte. She is Dolly, played by Sari Siikander . Both feminist and outright sexist things have been written in the character’s mouth. What a great buffo couple!
Music and its songs play an important role in the performance. The music is composed by Grant Olding, and in the City Theatre’s version, the music is provided by the guitar band The Brighton Peers, led by Lasse Hirvi . Pumppu plays and sings nostalgically rocking in his 60’s outfits. Hardwick’s great idea has been to arrange solos for the actors among the songs. Tidjân Ba plays the steel drum, Markku Toikka the ukulele, Kinnunen the marimba, Ahonen the electric guitar and Forss slaps the rhythm solo with his trimmed belly! The women sing as a trio in a beautifully seductive way like the Harmony Sisters.
Rogue-like acrobatics and 60s nostalgia
For the programme, Hardwick has written a commendable article on the nature of commedia dell’arte. The director emphasizes that this is a people’s comedy that must be suitably raunchy and harassing. Of the techniques of the style, Hardwick mentions various acrobatic tricks and gimmicks that do not really advance the plot, but entertain the audience.
Involving the audience in the performance and a little cheaply are part of the thing. This is also the case in the City Theatre’s performance. For example, Tommi Huovinen plays an incredibly funny and acrobatic supporting role as Alfie, a waitress who falls and stumbles. The restaurant scene of the show, with its games with food, is an ingenious little show in itself. The audience also gets their share as invited assistants on stage in such a juicy way that it cannot be revealed here. I’ll just say that Hardwick is quite a rogue…
The set design designed by Jyrki Seppä pays homage to the tradition of the genre. The painted scenery with its illusions of perspective is stylish. The foggy harbour of Brighton comes to life fascinatingly in the evening lighting. Sari Salmela’s retro-inspired costumes and Henri Karjalainen’s 60s wigs add to the nostalgic atmosphere.
A boost to the polar night
One Man, Two Bosses is an extremely enjoyable and skillfully made comedy. You enjoy the theatre so much that you don’t want to leave. The performance combines suitably raunchy vibes, rocking music and a stimulating connection with the actors and the audience. You get to know the characters and become attached to them.
It is also a nice insight that Kinnunen sometimes speaks to the audience from the actor’s point of view, that is, as himself. And there is also a message to be found about skilfully executed treatment. Who hasn’t resorted to a little deception in their greed or out of love? A humane message helps you get through the darkening autumn with a twinkle in your eye.