Review: Metsäperkele
The Forest Devil Helsinki City Theatre
Helsinki City Theatre is now celebrating Finland’s progressives on two stages. The grandeur of the small stage is Armi Ratia, and the storm wind of the big stage is the forest industry tycoon Gustaf Serlachius.
The performance, directed by Kari Heiskanen and based on Teemu Keskisarja’s The Curse of Green Gold, G.A. Serlachius’ Life and Affairs, gets off to a bang. The contours of industrialization are flashed onto the stage with fast forward. The sprint quiets down to jogging at the last minute. The viewer, who is on lactic acid, is already screaming in his mind: Stop, what is this all about?
It’s a question of foolhardiness, perseverance, and what you can end up with if you are born with the devil instead of a golden spoon. Serlachius, who is fiercely interpreted by Pertti Sveholm , is driven by the knowledge that if you are born a human being and not a leech, you can make yourself what you want. And Serlachius does; a pharmacist, a brewery entrepreneur and finally a factory patron.
Sveholm’s Serlachius is a completely unrestrained character who makes the saying “through the grey stone” sound like a joke. At first, bring this man a mountain range or two!
The mash drums are allowed to explode, projects to collapse, debt piles to grow. Without a hint of irony, the man compares himself to significant countries, which are also all in the red. Omnipotence reaches its culmination point when Serlachius argues that the railway should be built on the route he wants, which promotes the export of the groundwood mill.
The depiction of factory life in Mänttä is harsh, but the vigorous hard work also makes the atmosphere sublime and almost festive in places. Antti Mattila’s magnificent set design breathes with the same pulse of work. The devil also has a soft side. The factory takes care of its own, homes and schools are built next to the factory.
The work of the cast is steadily sure. Alongside Sveholm, memorable performances come from the sensitive lawyer Alexander Neiglick (Eero Aho) and the cartridge’s archenemy Fredrik Idestam (Risto Kaskilahti). Ville Tiihonen also plays a touching role as a son who strives to continue his father’s work.
The end of the play is difficult to digest in its tragedy. The applause is not to be released, even though the handsome performance deserves it.
Kari Heiskanen’s densely atmospheric direction would be valuable as a mere review of history. However, the performance grows much larger as it explores the limits of man and the consequences of living along them.