Review: Punaorvot
The play Red Orphans touchingly highlights the fate of the “puppies of the Puniks”
My last time at the theatre was at the beginning of March. I had thought that going to the theatre was not absolutely necessary during the coronavirus pandemic, so I wouldn’t take the risk. However, many acquaintances told me about the convincing security arrangements of the theatres and the great performances in the programme, so I decided to dare to see the acclaimed Red Orphans at the Helsinki City Theatre.
Going to the theatre felt safe
My husband and I put on masks already outside the theater. So did most of the rest of the audience. The Red Orphans is performed on the small stage of the City Theatre, where people normally sit quite closely. Now empty seats had been left between the groups, so as far as I understand, no one was sitting next to a stranger, but everyone had an empty seat before the next spectator. Outerwear could be placed in an empty seat, as they were exceptionally allowed in the stands.
The staff all wore masks and visors. We estimate that about 90% of the spectators were wearing masks. There were both quite elderly and young spectators without masks. No one coughed and the only moment I found a bit questionable was when the audience was inspired to sing together in the International, but luckily it didn’t go much further than the verse “Slaves of Work from the Night of Oppression Rise”.
In my opinion, everything worked excellently in terms of corona safety. One tip I could give: you should get a bigger trash can by the front door, as the current one was already overflowing with masks when we left.
Let’s get to the point: The premise of the playRed Orphans is about orphans left behind after the 1918 Civil War, whose parent or parents who had sided with the Reds had died either in battles or in prison camps. It is estimated that there were as many as 25,000 red orphans, but there are no accurate records.
The Civil War also left orphans on the side of the Whites, but it is estimated that there were only about 1,000 of them. They received a pension from the state, which was not paid to the red orphans.
After the war, many families who had been on the side of the Reds lived in poverty. In order to receive poor relief, they had to be in a really miserable situation, practically starving. Another condition for poor relief was that the child/children had to be placed in a placement. This is also the case in the play Red Orphans.
The play Red Orphans is written by writer Anneli Kanto and director Lauri Maijala together. Anneli Kanto has written two novels about the events of 1918, Blood Roses and Lahtarit, both of which have also moved to the stage. I went to see Blood Roses at the KOM Theatre, which was also a collaboration between Anneli and Lauri. At that time, the focus was on young factory girls who had joined the Red Guard. Now the duo has tackled the fate of the children and, in particular, how the Red orphans were placed in the “right” kind of families, i.e. patriotic and Christian families, in Ostrobothnia.
In the background, there was both sincere provision of aid and ideological motives. About 1,700 children were placed in houses in Ostrobothnia, where the conditions were generally more prosperous than in children’s homes (or children’s homes). Some of them were well off, they were taken care of and loved like their own children. Unfortunately, there were also absolutely horrible fates. Red orphans were considered labor slaves and one can only imagine all the ways in which they were exploited. Some soon returned to their homes, while others remained children of Ostrobothnian families.
The play Red Orphans follows the fate of the Johansson family from Helsinki. In the beginning, there is a mother, father and four children: Aarre, Lahja, Ilona and a small baby, who is planned to be named Varma Voittoa. Things don’t go well for the family, and the story progresses along a very dark path.
Production of the play Red Orphans
Children are often a rather silent group when writing about war. In 2018, Pasi Pekkola’s Tomorrow Spring Returns was published, which dealt with the consequences of the Civil War from the point of view of children, and while reading it, I came across the placement of red orphans in Ostrobothnia for the first time.
Anneli Kanto and Lauri Maijala had tackled an impressive topic and narrowed it down very precisely. Although the examination is only from the perspective of one family, the story manages to cover many human destinies and dimensions.
The role of children’s homes and the authorities becomes clear. The placements were not always voluntary custody. There may or may not be warmth in Ostrobothnia. The children had to take on the role of their broken parents. Everyone had losses. In return, there was help and warmth, even a little was shared. The poor family also worked together.
I have praised Lauri Maijala’s direction in Blood Roses, the super amazing Game Trail and the Humming Ridge. Now he is moving from the Helsinki City Theatre back to the KOM Theatre, and Red Orphans will be his last directing job. Lauri Maijala is skilled and this time too, you get the best out of the actors. Still, I felt that I didn’t reach a certain level, even though the strong message of the Red Orphans did get through. I didn’t get excited about all the props and glitter in this context, but luckily they didn’t overwhelm the humanity.
The mother of the family, played by Ella Mettänen, was really believable as a widow languishing in mental pain. The pain is so great that you can’t hold on to anything. The mother’s gaze is blank as the world crumbles around her. The role was built in a delicate way, there was no wallowing in misery, but its deeper essence came to the fore.
The family is supported by her lovely neighbour Elli, who also has her own sorrows to carry. He feeds, offers a roof over his head and has the strength to live with us and look to the future. It was nice to see Riitta Havukainen wise in the role of Elli.
Antti Autio, who plays the son of the family, sang the most beautiful version in the world, arranged by Lauri Maijala, of the lullaby of the Shoemaker’s Lady, which remained an earworm even on the way home, piupalipaupali. Kari Mattila’s voice could be listened to all evening, despite the fact that the Ostrobothnian host he plays is a monster.
In the other roles, Wenla Reimaluoto, Anna Böhm, Leena Rapola, Miika Laakso and Marjut Toivanen do quality work.
Miina Sillanpää’s Day
Quite by chance, the day of our visit to the theatre was chosen to be 1.10., the day of Miina Sillanpää and civic engagement. Miina is mentioned a couple of times in the play, as she was the first Finnish female minister to advocate for the rights of mothers and children, as well as many other women’s interests.
The last tableau of the play was great. The whole ensemble was on stage at the same time in black costumes and angel wings, singing and playing Piupalipaupali, with photographs of small children in the background, no doubt real photographs of red orphans. Between the actors were child puppets, which can be imagined as those who were placed in Ostrobothnia or those children who are still orphaned or uncared for today due to various conflicts or, for example, the coronavirus.
We went home impressed. The magic of theatre had once again done its job. For a moment, we had gone into another era. The misery and sadness seen on stage had touched me and made me think. Our problems are small compared to them.
I warmly recommend Red Orphans to others, and I should also mention that we felt very safe from our visit to the theatre.