Review: Pienet ketut

In the theater: Little Foxes

The beginning of the play is light. For a moment, I wondered if this wasn’t supposed to be a drama. It doesn’t take long for everything to change. Drama has indeed found its place on the small stage of the Helsinki City Theatre. The American classic The Little Foxes (1939), written by Lillian Hellman, exudes the drama of the good old days, even though the story itself is cruel and could be possible in today’s world.

Ben (Seppo Halttunen) and Oscar (Rauno Ahonen) need the help of their sister Regina (Sari Siikander) to realize their business idea that would bring them all millions. However, Regina’s help is not just any help, but financial help. Regina has no more money than her brothers, but her terminally ill husband Horace (Risto Kaskilahti) has no shortage of money. The only problem is that Horace is not at home and is not interested in investing a cent in the business of the sibling trio. It’s time to get cunning.

An insanely wonderful and traditional spoken word play that kept me hooked throughout the performance. Sari Siikander’s empathy for her role was really powerful. At the premiere, the woman was still in tears during the applause. Risto Kaskilahti, who played in Horace’s weak appearance, does a skilful job. Somehow, Kaskilahti transforms so completely that he would not have been immediately recognizable as Kakilahti if he had not had prior knowledge of the actors in the play. Ursula Salo as a stooped-backed servant girl is as if she had been snatched from an old mansion. Very realistic looking and feeling. The only thing that scared me was the stooped position where the woman acted throughout the play. I felt sorry for the hysterical and alcoholic Birdie, played by Linda Zilliacus with a sensitive and fragile feeling. His fate was not praiseworthy either.

I liked the set design of the play, which was a view of Regina and Horace’s living room. Simple, but still interesting. The actors’ costumes were classically beautiful. It really suited the character of the play very well. Both the set design and the costume design are thanks to Elina Kolehmainen. The play is directed by Kari Heiskanen. I have to admit that already at the premiere, the actors played together very seamlessly. The performance felt very ready, and the director certainly played a big part in this.

The Little Foxes is a play that lives up to its name. The fox, that cunning and beautiful slanted eye who thinks only of his own interests. That’s what the little foxes in this play do, too. Siblings who think only of themselves and their own pleasure. This is cruel, but this happens every day around us. There will always be people who only think about their own best interests without caring about other people’s feelings or needs. The play also reveals the jealousy between siblings, which can be found in many families. Even adulthood does not take away the jealousy between siblings if it has been allowed to take root since childhood. Although the play is very shocking in its own way, I am glad that it has been included in the repertoire of the Helsinki City Theatre. A drama where tears cannot be avoided.

The Little Foxes is an intense experience as a whole. The story of the play sucks the viewer in. The play is easy to recommend to all drama lovers. The performances will continue until the first days of December, so there is plenty of time to see the play.