Review: Elling

Fear of the new and the joy of survival
Courage and caring for others are things that have not been seen very often on theatre stages lately. When you see it, you notice that you fall in love. The tearing up of the dark sides of life is in order, but an everyday survival story like Studio Pasila’s Elling easily beats them. Elling, directed by Tommi Auvinen , is an antidote to a tired mind, because when you leave the theatre, you are full of the energy of healing laughter.
Elling is based on the Norwegian novel Blood Brothers by Ingvar Ambjörnsen. The book is about two mental health rehabilitees who receive a shared apartment from the City of Oslo. Now we should go from the security offered by the institution to the beginning of an independent life. There are plenty of reasons to be afraid, starting from answering the phone and daring to go to the store.
Told like this, the story doesn’t seem very glowing, but see on stage the men’s fears, bravery, desire to try and, above all, amazing humor. The laughter that the situations in the play evoke in the audience is neither mockery nor mockery. On the contrary, the viewer feels deep compassion and gets the opportunity to recognize their own fears and timidities.

Jouko Klemettilä is Elling, who grew up to be a man of his time in his mother’s arms, and whose world collapsed when his mother died. He has the cunning to get his friend, Kjell Bjarne (Tuomas Uusitalo), who has been through a lot, to do scary things for him. Elling’s every hand movement, cutting food into millimetre-precise pieces, small taps on the tip of the shoe, neat meticulousness and a shoulder bag that brings security are wonderful finds. They keep the frightening world together. Tuomas Uusitalo lets Kjell Bjarne’s emotions show. He runs, stomps, sweats and melts into a joyful smile when things go well, he gets a kitten or a fat sauce in a restaurant. A talented young actor who was a pleasure to watch. Those sitting nearby could see every drop of sweat, the twitching of the cheek muscles and the thumping of the hem of the shirt.
Compassion is also aroused by the figure of a social worker (Eppu Salminen) who encourages and supports men. The difference between the caregiver and the patient cracks at the end when the man talks about the tragedy of his own life.

Marjut Toivanen plays the role of a waiter, neighbour and doctor in the play. Oh, the seductions that he offers in front of Eling and Kjell Bjarne as a waitress.
A great play for these autumn rains.
 
Axell Hellstenius, Ingvar Ambjörnsen, Peter Naess: Elling., Premiere at Studio Pasila 23.9.