Review: Nauravan kulkurin tarina
Nauravan kulkurin tarina – Theatre with a capital T
Vesa-Matti Loiri’s career encompassed everything from Uuno Turhapuro and Nasse-setä to Eino Leino’s poetry and major concert stages. Yet Helsinki City Theatre’s Nauravan kulkurin tarina does not simply catalogue the celebrated artist’s achievements. Instead, it explores what performing and being an artist meant to him – and the price he paid for them.
Written by Sami Keski-Vähälä and adapted and directed by Paavo Westerberg, this musical drama portrays Loiri’s life in all its contradictions, raw humanity and, at times, brutality. Alongside success came relationships, loss and inner demons.
That is precisely where the production’s greatest strength lies.
Two Loiris, one restless artist
The young Loiri is played by Oliver Kollberg, while Santeri Kinnunen portrays him in later life. The approach works well. Neither actor reduces the role to a mere Loiri impersonation. Instead, they create a portrait of a man driven by an immense need to make art and entertain, while constantly battling with himself.
Loiri is not placed on a pedestal as an untouchable national treasure. He is allowed to be funny, talented, contradictory and, at times, difficult.
Maria Ylipää shines
Maria Ylipää emerges as the evening’s musical powerhouse, performing many of the production’s songs. And what a magnificent job she does!
Ylipää does not try to sing like Loiri; she makes the songs her own. In her interpretations, familiar songs find a new place within the drama rather than remaining detached musical numbers.
Eeva Kontu’s musical dramaturgy and arrangements are equally outstanding. The four-piece live band on stage – Varre Vartiainen, Jussi Lehtonen, Ilmari Rönkä and Joonas Tuuri – is simply superb. The live music brings a raw edge, warmth and power to the production that suit this story perfectly.
Holmberg and Spede come to life
Two supporting performances stand out from the strong acting ensemble. Joel Hirvonen as Kalle Holmberg and Jari Pehkonen as Spede Pasanen deliver astonishingly committed performances.
At times, it almost feels as though Holmberg and Pasanen themselves are on stage.
It is not merely a matter of mannerisms or physical resemblance. The actors capture the essence of their characters in a way that makes them exceptionally vivid. Through them, a chapter in the history of Finnish theatre and entertainment also unfolds.
The Main Stage comes into its own
Antti Mattila’s set design makes skilful use of Helsinki City Theatre’s Main Stage. The same space transforms effortlessly from a train journey to Lapland into a dimly lit nightclub. The set is not merely an impressive backdrop; it carries the story from one time and place to another.
The scale of the production is evident, but the spectacle never overshadows the human story.
A long evening that delivers value for money
Including the interval, Nauravan kulkurin tarina runs for almost three hours. That is a long time, but on this occasion, audiences certainly get their money’s worth.
The production also works for those unfamiliar with Loiri’s life. It offers enough insight into his career, relationships and artistry without requiring any prior knowledge.
Those who know Loiri well, meanwhile, will recognise people, songs and episodes from the history of Finnish entertainment.
A biography that goes beneath the surface
After the curtain falls, it is not Uuno Turhapuro, Nasse-setä or any particular song that lingers most in the mind. It is the man himself.
That is precisely why Nauravan kulkurin tarina rises above the conventional biographical musical. It is more than a nostalgic journey through the career of a beloved artist: it is a vivid and, at times, unflinching portrait of a performer’s life, with all its joys, sorrows and contradictions.
Maria Ylipää’s magnificent interpretations, the strong acting ensemble, the superb live band and the versatile stage make this nearly three-hour production grand in both scale and emotion.
This is Theatre with a capital T.
Read the full review here.