Max Forsman, who was born in Siuntio, is at his best as Marcus, married to Therese (Åsa Wallenius) but busy elsewhere with her best friend Elsa (an always humorous Pia Runnakko). To Max’s dismay, Elsa has suffered from remorse and wants to end the affair and make everything right, in which case Marcus would risk losing both wife and mistress. But of course, Theresa doesn’t have clean flour in the bag either, and neither does Marcus’ best friend Paul (a lovesick Robert Enckell).
The son Sebastian, a festive goth heavy fan, is played by Robert’s son Wilhelm Enckell and the apple has not fallen far from the tree here. Life is further complicated by the clichéd character of Leo, a Portuguese house renovator, but skilfully interpreted by the comedic talent Fabian Silén. The flood resulting from his bathroom renovation also gets Polish neighbor Pavel (a naturally funny Sixten “The Caveman” Lundberg) on the warpath.
One of the better farces
Antti Mattila’s set design consists of a rather dull and rigid living room that slowly falls apart piece by piece as the flood caused by the pipe repair progresses. Sometimes you even wonder if the house breaks down more than planned. Maria Rosenqvist’s colourful costumes fit the characters well.
The text of the play, dramatized by Marina Meinander, is predictable, as farces usually are, but in that genre, A Moment of Calm in the House is definitely one of the better, at least in this production. Jaakko Saariluoma’s well-oiled team is tearing off one burst of laughter after another, and if you want blue and bare entertainment, you should definitely seek out Lillan this spring.