Review: Tahto

Helsinki City Theatre’s Tahto is a dream play for skiing maniacs!

Tahto is the dream play of every skiing maniac and bench athlete. Sanna-June Hyde, who slipped into Aino-Kaisa Saarinen’s ski overalls, is at least worthy of a gold medal in her role. Tahto is sprint skiing, where you go both on the back and free, and sometimes the national anthem is played.

I decided to prepare properly for the play Tahto. For my part, the basic fitness season has lasted for decades, as I have followed winter sports since I was a child. Growing up in Lahti, I have skied the same Salpausselkä trails as Aino-Kaisa Saarinen, although years earlier, and I think my last trophy spoon is from the third grade of elementary school.

I have also been in the stands numerous times when Aikku has competed in the Salpausselkä Games. I vividly remember when his supporters shouted encouragement next to us. I also saw his farewell race last spring at the same stadium where he currently heads to work daily in the role of the secretary general of the Salpausselkä Games.

And of course, I’ve followed Aiku’s cross-country skiing battles in the world championships. At the last minute before the play, I read Pekka Holopainen’s biography of Aiku, which is also called Tahto.

The play begins impressively. In the video, the authentic Aino-Kaisa Saarinen talks about a moment when you are so at the limit of your resources that your field of vision narrows, you lose consciousness, you think you can’t take it anymore, but somewhere behind the extreme pain comes the strength to surpass yourself, to achieve a previously experienced FLOW and it feels so good that you want to strive for it again and again.

Then Aino-Kaisa Saarinen from the play enters the stage, played with phenomenal energy by Sanna-June Hyde. She is the clear protagonist of the play and can only admire the skill with which Sanna-June brings out Aiku’s unwavering will and uncertainty on stage!

The play is written by Aina Bergroth. However, the events unfold in line with the biography Tahto, which means that Aiku’s own voice is heard strongly. After all, the book is an astonishing, direct account, in which Aikku unsparingly brings out first and foremost his own weaknesses, but also those of others. Tahto is directed by Sini Pesonen.

In the Saarinen family’s home, the principle has been that one’s own children are not praised, and this becomes very clear in the text. Exercise and competition are the glue of a close-knit family community, and everyday life is run on the terms of the girls’ sports hobbies. When Aikku brings his boyfriend, son-in-law candidate Tomi, to meet his parents for the first time, Tom also has to clock the time how fast he will run around the house. You see, you see, what a man is made of.

Unlike the book, Andre Agassi, played by Santeri Kinnunen, has been added to the play as an additional element, whose biography has been read in our readership. Andre Agassi made it to the top of the world, even though he has declared that he hated tennis. Anyone who has read Agassi’s book, on the other hand, will hate Andre’s father, who taped a tennis racket to his son’s wrist. In the play, Andre whispers to Aiku the song of the sirens, tempts him to give up, and downplays the importance of winning. I think bringing Andre to counterbalance Aiku worked excellently.

There is also another counterweight in the play, and in the book, Virpi Kuitunen (Sarasvuo). Virpi is a golden beauty, a superior ski glider and Aiku’s best pusher. The relationship is complex, Aikku admires Virpi and at the same time is jealous of her, especially the appreciative gaze of their coach Jamppa Riski. On the other hand, they have a common goal: they both want to be the best in the world.

Linda Zilliacus, who plays Virpi, is just as wonderful a revelation as the real Virpi is. Not the same-looking, but similarly brightly radiant. He gives Aiku honest recognition at the moment of defeat, but is amazed at Aiku’s interpretations of many events. He puts the viewer’s/reader’s thoughts into words, i.e. how on earth does Aikku see everything only from his own point of view. Aikku pushes everything very honestly and seems to be just proud of it.

Coach Jamppa Riski is played by Rauno Ahonen. He is Aiku’s professional safe haven, he creates faith, he calms down, he tells us to go to the couch with a chocolate bar. Jamppa also states that Aikku has been his most employable coach. Aikku calls Jampa several times a day, even though the coaching relationship is over. I know the real Jarmo Riski, because we worked in the same office for years. Rauno Ahonen catches up with the calmness of the real Jampa, but there is not the same warmth in the corners of his eyes.

Aiku’s family, mother, father and twin sister (the two older sisters have been forgotten in the play) have been Aiku’s support team throughout her life. The family is involved in rejoicing over the gold medal, although it takes a long time for the parents to adopt skiing as a proper profession. The twin sister is close, but they also clash with her. Her sister thought Aikku was a nicer person before the championships. Leena Rapola, who plays the mother, and Risto Kaskilahti, who plays the father, are very believable in their roles. The image of Sister Maija, who in the play is simply called Sister, is not as clear. Vappu Nabantoglu acts well, but without the background of the book Tahto, it is difficult to understand her significance to Aiku.

The play also features other characters familiar to skiers, the events of 2001 are already a little smiling and, if they wish, the audience can also join in the national anthem.

However, one is the dearest of all, her husband Tom. Sami Jauhojärvi states in the book Tahto that he could not be married to Aiku for a moment. Many people have apparently laughed at Tom about how he can handle all of Aiku’s whims. The Tom of the play is the most wonderful, he supports, encourages, takes care of everyday life and finally also their daughter Amanda. However, he has not been made into a flip-flop, but a man with good self-esteem is seen on stage, who is not bothered by small everyday tantrums when the common ground is strong. The role of Tomi is played by Mikko Virtanen, who you may fall in love with a little in the audience.

During the intermission of the play, I was absolutely excited. This was interesting, inspiring, even fun! Towards the end of the play, the story became more fragmented, the events after the book published in 2016 were grafted in, and the common thread disappeared, at least for me.

My theatre experience was definitely improved by three things:

1. I actively follow winter sports and all the characters in the play were at least known by name
2. I had just read the book Tahto, so I also knew the background of the scenes that my husband, who was with me in the theater, knew nothing about and therefore wondered what it was all about
3. I have also read the biography of Andre Agassi.

In my opinion, the play Tahto is a must if you fill the first point. The next two are an advantage, but you can throw yourself into the world of winter sports without it.

“You can’t succeed in the world championships without a terrible charge.”

Aino-Kaisa Saarinen has 15 medals, four of which were gold. Three of the medals are from individual distances:

• World Championship gold, 10 km, Liberec 2009
• Olympic bronze, 30 km, Vancouver 2010
• World Championships bronze, 10 km, Oslo 2011

In the play’s thanks, Sanna-June Hyde reads a text message sent by Aiku. He would have liked to come to the premiere, but the World Junior Championships in Lahti had prevented him from coming. Aikku wrote: “You can’t have everything in life.”

It’s great that the athlete’s story has made it to the theatre stage. The only other sports play I have seen at the Lahti City Theatre was many years ago. It was Kerttu Hämeranta’s Love Trail and I wish I could see it again.