Review: Palvelija

The solo performed by Martti Suosalo has hit material.

When the names Kari Hotakainen and Martti Suosalo are combined, magic is in the air. Hotakainen’s lyrics are always interesting and Suosalo is one of the best performers in our country. Hotakainen’s latest stage text, The Servant, delves into the core of service as a profession and character trait in an exciting and dark way with dark humour. Arena Theatre’s joyful performance inevitably brings to mind Antti Holma’s hit monologue The Leader, which explored the same theme from a slightly different angle.

This time, the performance will be built into a lecture given by Detective Superintendent Arto Jylhämö. He is an honestly stiff man who grieves the scar in a manly way. The topic of the lecture is human nature, the twists and turns of which Jylhämö knows well. As observation material, he uses, among other things, a lemon and a peasant doll. Jylhämö also has an exciting trump card in his pocket: he knows how to imitate and imitate others, so he can swim into someone else’s skin and expose a criminal.

Suosalo has directed the performance with Raila Leppäkoski and the result is quite enjoyable. In the first half, Suosalo shows his brilliant skills by stretching into different characters, whose personalities are tried to be mapped. There are plenty of characters, from uncles seen in childhood to servants, such as a priest and a midwife. In this way, “servantship” gets a rather twisted angle.

An absurd thriller keeps its grip

In the second half, the atmosphere becomes almost thriller-like. An example is a rather absurd mess of relationships, in which Jylhämö has been involved and now wants to share it with the audience. The hairdresser in the story is burned out. She is married to a virile man who, due to an accident, becomes paralyzed to a wheelchair patient. In this way, the lady becomes a double servant – first at work and then at home as a caregiver.

Eventually, the hairdresser loses his nerve and the possibility of murder begins to run through his mind. An unfortunate scoundrel is found as an accomplice, who has fallen into a rather strange business in order to support his family. There is no shortage of absurdism and wild situations in the story. Suosalo presents the entire story alone, empathizing with different characters. Great acting! The stylish ensemble is supported by Jussi Kärkkäinen’s subtle, enigmatic soundscape.

Hotakainen’s text is ingenious and explores the oddities of human life. The person sitting next to you is ultimately a mystery, and they may hold strange secrets. Nevertheless, we are one, the same people all. Even though someone (quite a few) thinks about murder in a rage in their relationship, extremely few people do it. This is what Hotakainen teaches through Jylhämö.

Suosalo’s performance is such precise and enjoyable work that it doesn’t get any better. Definitely a hit of the spring.