Review: Herra Puntila ja hänen renkinsä Matti

The colourfully fast-paced Puntila charms with its lightness

Directed by Kari Heiskanen, Mr. Puntila and his servant Matti surprises with its colourfulness and speed. The message offered by Bertolt Brecht and Hella Wuolijoki does not seem to be pointing or instructive at all. The unscrupulous master tears his workers apart with his unpredictable whims.

The bastion of the power of the Häme master is indicative with its scattered pompous columns and palm trees. The Puntila illuminated advertisement shines in the middle so that it would not be forgotten who has the power.

The performance takes on a timeless and placeless character as the crowd, dressed in exotic patterns, take over the stage and whirl around in the whirlpool of dance. Of course, a few basic workers will be brought to the market, but there will also be people who look like outsiders.

The text has been updated and comic elements have been added. I don’t mind the lighter version, as there are excellent coincidences in its juice that open up the content in new directions.

Pertti Sveholm throws himself into every corner with full force as Mr. Puntila and takes over the stage in its entirety sovereignly. The drunken host swings in the bliss of drunkenness and is a fool to everyone, but after falling asleep he wakes up as an irritable bully.

The women who became engaged on a trip to get liquor arrive to demand their rights. The union of the brides of Puntila’s host marches in the Brechtian way with placards in hand. Alienation is part of the play, and Puntila flirts with the audience, and she even has time to make one engagement with the audience.

The chauffeur Matti (Antti Peltola) is a calm guy with good self-esteem who is not afraid of his master’s unpredictability. The role is inevitably overshadowed by Sveholm’s master.

As Puntila’s daughter Eeva, Anna-Riikka Rajala gives a fresh and snappy performance. Her fiancé, Embassy Secretary Silakka, is an unhappy wimp played by Antti Timonen in a charming dough-like manner. Eeva’s infatuation with Matti brings electricity to the stage.

There are no empty moments in the performance, but the carousel is always spinning. The choir parts sound beautiful, the dances are atmospheric and Mongo Aaltonen conjures up interesting rhythms with his instruments.