Review: Munaako herra ministeri
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feel guilty, because in a farce, everything usually turns out for the best in the end. Ray Cooney is the golden nugget of the current British farce. His most successful play, Out of Order (1990), has been performed in Finland
in several theaters. Now it can be seen as a co-production of the Helsinki City Theatre and the Tampere Workers’ Theatre,
in which the main roles are played by the actor-directors of both houses, Asko Sarkola and Esko Roine.
Out of Order goes Pentti Järvinen’s new Finnish translation under the name Munaako herra ministeri or Political Pyttipannu. And of course, the minister is egging. Esko Roine’s Minister of the National Coalition Party, Viljanen, is making a big fuss when he skips the opposition’s question time.
The minister is in a hotel room at the same time as the curvy secretary of the Centre Party parliamentary group. Everything goes naturally
wrong. And then even more wrong.
Cooney’s farce paraphrases the outdated notion of politicians’ duplicity and the decadence of the power elite. People abandon the play
all social and personal morality when it is taken over by its instincts. From a Finnish perspective, the issue is not as topical as in England, where scandals pop up from the parliament almost every month.
The British already have a term for the lowliness of politicians, sleaze. In Järvinen’s translation and directed by Neil Hardwick, the farce is set in Finland. Especially in the early part, the speeches are full of apt
throws into Finnish daily politics. The tension of the farce rises over whether the wife and the media will catch the minister
With your pants down, engaging in a relationship that crosses party lines.
The further The farce progresses, the more important it becomes to run through doors, climb out of windows and hide in closets. Especially the closet
Hobbies: Just when the viewer believes that the characters are no longer hiding there, they hide there for another twenty
times. The farce also includes other standard equipment of its sport: women are scantily clad even when there is no reason to do so, and men
Possible homosexuality is laughed at. Mari Vainio’s Parliamentary Group Secretary is unbelievable for her profession
bimbo.
Last year The City Theatre performed Välkky and Pölkky. The name of Cooney’s farce could just as well be Sutki ja Nyhverö. Minister of Esko Roine
is as slippery as an eel, a professional of lies. Asko Sarkola is his political secretary, a sissy and shy old man boy,
who has the misfortune of having to save a minister. Asko Sarkola and Esko Roine are professionals, Finnish farce masters. And they do their job skillfully. It is necessary
Because if the performance were even a little worse, the play’s fundamental emptiness would shine through like hot
summer sun.
The viewer realizes that they are enjoying themselves Even the familiar mannerisms of both comedians – read about the tried and tested alphabet of comedy acting – but delighted
for real, as both of them show new tricks. The rest of the working group is also up to the task, Antti Litja as a strenuous servant, Seppo Maijala as a grumpy hotel manager, Mika
Nuojua as a supple “body” and Heidi Herala as a nurse with thick glasses. Over-energetic Eppu Salminen was eliminated at the premiere
once on the side of the stands. The timing of the lines and the farcically clear language of gestures and facial expressions work especially in the middle of the play. The first half is quite stiff.
In the middle part, the farce machine finds its fat, which it loses in the slightly chasing explanation towards the end. Lines are faltering
And unnecessary stuffing gets lost in them. But it’s easy to believe that the timings, punch lines and
The killers settle into place through contact with the audience.
Basically Ray Cooney is boulevard theatre at its lightest. The farce needs to be accompanied by a slightly heavier theatre in the programme, which some
even call it art. Theatre director Asko Sarkola has expanded the triad he learned at Lilla Teatern: farce-musical play-serious drama
to the dimensions of the City Theatre. The drama, which is serious and stimulates the viewer’s insight and intellect, has been left behind in the last couple of years
City Theatre. Esko Roine said that one of the motives for co-production is that the expenses of one performance generate the income of two performances.
May this thinking also be a joy for theatre lovers.
Trivial, but so smooth
Ray Cooney’s light-hearted ministerial farce makes you laugh with technical expertise
Ray Cooney: Is Mr. Secretary egging. The big stage of the Helsinki City Theatre. Translated by Pentti Järvinen. Directed by Neil Hardwick.
Set design by Hannu Lindholm. Costumes by Maija Pekkanen. Cast: Esko Roine, Asko Sarkola, Mari Vainio, Eppu Salminen/Jyrki Mänttäri,
Miitta Sorvali/Minna Hokkanen, Heidi Herala/Teija Auvinen, Antti Litja, Seppo Maijala/Antti Seppä, Maria Aro/Petriikka Pohjanheimo,
Mika Nuojua/Valtteri Tuominen.
feel guilty, because in a farce, everything usually turns out for the best in the end.
in several theaters. Now it can be seen as a co-production of the Helsinki City Theatre and the Tampere Workers’ Theatre,
in which the main roles are played by the actor-directors of both houses, Asko Sarkola and Esko Roine.
The minister is in a hotel room at the same time as the curvy secretary of the Centre Party parliamentary group. Everything goes naturally
wrong. And then even more wrong.
all social and personal morality when it is taken over by its instincts.
The British already have a term for the lowliness of politicians, sleaze.
throws into Finnish daily politics. The tension of the farce rises over whether the wife and the media will catch the minister
With your pants down, engaging in a relationship that crosses party lines.
Hobbies: Just when the viewer believes that the characters are no longer hiding there, they hide there for another twenty
times.
Possible homosexuality is laughed at. Mari Vainio’s Parliamentary Group Secretary is unbelievable for her profession
bimbo.
is as slippery as an eel, a professional of lies. Asko Sarkola is his political secretary, a sissy and shy old man boy,
who has the misfortune of having to save a minister.
Because if the performance were even a little worse, the play’s fundamental emptiness would shine through like hot
summer sun.
for real, as both of them show new tricks.
Nuojua as a supple “body” and Heidi Herala as a nurse with thick glasses. Over-energetic Eppu Salminen was eliminated at the premiere
once on the side of the stands.
In the middle part, the farce machine finds its fat, which it loses in the slightly chasing explanation towards the end. Lines are faltering
And unnecessary stuffing gets lost in them. But it’s easy to believe that the timings, punch lines and
The killers settle into place through contact with the audience.
even call it art.
to the dimensions of the City Theatre. The drama, which is serious and stimulates the viewer’s insight and intellect, has been left behind in the last couple of years
City Theatre.
May this thinking also be a joy for theatre lovers.