Review: Ministeriä viedään

Unbridled cravings at the hotel

The pace of the farce is dizzying on the Arena stage of the Helsinki City Theatre, as the other Minister of Social Affairs, Reino Viljanen (Esko Roine), is carried away by his instincts and special adviser Mika Pöntinen (Asko Sarkola) is covering up his tracks and organising chaos.

Director Neil Hardwick knows how to make a farce and it’s liberating to let yourself be carried away by anarchist madness. Ray Cooney’s farce has been updated to today’s Finland with its. Although the subject matter of the play is not new in itself, it works on the basis of skilful pacing and outrageous actors’ performances, especially the roles of Asko Sarkola and Heidi Herala. Herala as the minister’s spouse is unparalleled in lust. Now it’s time to laugh!

ESSI SALONEN