Review: Kaasua, komisario Palmu!

In the theatre: Gas, Inspector Palmu!

Inspector Palmu. Just the thought of Inspector Palmus brings a smile to my face. I haven’t read Mika Waltari’s novel Who Murdered Mrs. Skrof? (1939), but the idea of Matti Kassila’s 1960s film classic Gas, Inspector Palmu! brings great nostalgia into the air. And what happens when Inspector Palmu steps onto the stage of the theatre? The Helsinki City Theatre tells it and it does a great job.

Inspector Palmu (Kari Väänänen) rushes to the scene with his assistants Detective Virta (Heikki Ranta) and Detective Kokki (Petrus Kähkönen) when the rich Mrs. Skrof (Kirsi Karlenius) is found dead in her apartment. Death seems natural. Mrs. Skrof has forgotten to turn on the gas tap and died of gas poisoning. Inspector Palmu does not believe in this and starts a murder investigation. Clues are starting to emerge. Is the murderer Miss Kirsti Skrof (Sara Paasikoski), Kaarle Lankela (Tuukka Leppänen), the preacher Mustapää (Jouko Klemettilä) or perhaps someone else entirely? No problem. Inspector Palmu decides.

Great! It’s unbelievably great to see Kari Väänänen on the stage of the theatre. Väänänen is like the obvious Palmu. A grumpy man who throws himself into his own thoughts, who does not lack charisma. Let the detectives do their part. Palmu watches from the sidelines and guides the detectives to the right path. Miiko Toiviainen, who enjoys the costume of artist Kurt Kuurna, knows how to be annoyingly sweet in his role. The man is infuriating and so sure of himself that he can’t help but admire. And why do I always laugh when I see Jouko Klemettilä on stage? Klemettilä fits the role of a preacher of a mysterious religious sect perfectly. Eero Saarinen also does a skilful job on stage every time. This time, the main role is played by Master of Laws Lanne, and the supporting role is Kuurna’s acquaintance Reiska. Two completely different roles.

The nostalgia is palpable when you follow the performance. It’s as if you’ve been raptured from today to the night of Helsinki decades ago. The sets are nicely executed and excitingly multidimensional. A jazz orchestra suitable for the era wings the flow of the play. Sometimes it’s nice to just get carried away by music. The colours and lights are on point. It is a pleasure to follow such a performance. Time flies quickly, and there is no need to look at the clock. All in all, a wonderful whole.

The stage adaptations of Mika Waltari’s Palmu novels have been banned for a long time, but luckily Waltari’s estate has already given the green light a few years ago. A couple of years ago, Inspector Palmu’s mistake was seen on the Arena stage of the Helsinki City Theatre. Waltari’s grandson Joel Elstelä has dramatized Gas, Inspector Palmu! play based on Mika Waltari’s novel Who Murdered Mrs. Skrof?. The play has been directed by Heikki Kujanpää, who has managed to get the parts to work well together.

Gas, Inspector Palmu! is a great play for someone who doesn’t otherwise have much of a basis in theatre. The play is easy to follow and it combines comedy, detective story and music in a nice way. On the other hand, this is also a play that heavy theatre consumers should not miss.