Review: Ei kertonut katuvansa

The play No Man Told Me Regretted asks who the shame belongsto He Didn’t Tell Me Regret is a major play about the war by the Helsinki City Theatre. The subject is something that has become a kind of general basis for storytelling. A legend from which new interpretations are always drawn. With it, the creators measure their mastery among themselves and build on the layers formed by old stories.

Tommi Kinnunen The book, which was nominated for the Finlandia Prize, was very cinematic in itself, and when reading, the women’s journey through a war-torn country was drawn in vivid images, even though in the end, the action does not change from one scene to another very quickly. Quite the opposite, as the world of the book is contemplative and ultimately tells a straightforward story about the journey of five women. Director Susanna Airaksinen and set designer Vilma Mattila have also clearly seen the story as images, and the visually powerful play has a clear and unique style.

The set design reminds me of Finnish design with its wave patterns and simple design language and colors. The low landscape opens up to the audience in grey, and the large stage of the City Theatre reinforces the impression of flatness. Every now and then, higher elements intersect the space, the moon appears in the sky, or the whole world turns into a dance of silhouettes. We feel how we are following a long hike in a space that is discouragingly difficult to cross.

The play tells the story of women who worked with German troops during the Continuation War. When the Germans withdraw from Northern Norway, the women are left with nothing and choose to return to Finland on foot from the weak alternatives. The only reward for the dangerous journey is a shameful return home, because women who had been on close terms with the Germans were considered suspicious.

During the journey, we return to the women’s past, as one by one their stories are deepened. In a very natural way, the play undulates in time and place. The tragic and sometimes even funny stories tell about women, but they also paint a general picture of the spirit of the times.

The sometimes violent and fast-paced play maintains the slow rhythm of the hike. At times, the rhythm feels too slow in terms of dialogue, where there seems to be a conflict between almost literary expressions and emotional delivery. In the end, however, the genuine team spirit between the women, coloured by arguments, pushes through as the strongest.

Especially the play was attracted by the wireframe music, which reinforced the cinematic atmosphere, as if it had been Tarantino’s western. In the band led by Eeva Koivusalo, Sami Koskela, who has been involved in many things, played drums and Vesa Anttila, who also played guitar with a wistful feeling in Agents. At times, the actors of the City Theatre even joined the choir singing with the band, and the play was impressive musically alone.

Heidi Herala, Aino Seppo, Lumi Aunio, Seidi Haarla and Ursula Salo brought a tremendous amount of energy, sensitivity and charisma to the stage through their roles. The play, which requires constant transformation, opened up to the audience through professionalism, which is difficult to appreciate because it all seemed so natural.

The very last moments of the play with Heidi Herala were touching. I’m not going to spoil anything, but the scene at the end tied the themes of the story together in a surprising way and raised the mental middle finger to the attitude that awaited the returning women at home.

Tommi Kinnunen says:

“There is still a tradition association for men who fought with the German army to honour their memory, but after the war, women who worked in the same army were labelled as either loose moral or little girls intoxicated by uniforms. Men’s actions were justified by chains of command, but women have to bear responsibility as individuals.”

The shame placed on women’s shoulders is not just a historical phenomenon. The journey through a war-torn country is very symbolic of the journeys that numerous women take in their lives even today.