Review: Vihainen leski

The Angry Widow at the Helsinki City Theatre

The angry widow, Ulla-Riitta Raiskio, aka Ullis, has lived her entire life conscientiously. She has drilled people’s teeth every day, had two children, now a daughter and a son, and worked as a caregiver for her husband for twelve years. She lives alone in an old terraced house, where she does not feel comfortable.

That beginning is the starting point for the excellent play The Angry Widow at the Helsinki City Theatre. The Angry Widow is a musical delight and romantic comedy with dark tones. Thought-provoking and sometimes even a little naughty.

When Ullis’ husband dies, everyone close to her seems to see the 74-year-old widow as a fragile old woman who is already preparing for her death. But Ullis is not yet ready for a fragile old age, but he is finally free to live. Instead of sitting in a rocking chair, Ullis contacts her peers, who have decided to make the most of life.

Friends Pike and Ellu are enjoying their third life as baroness. They dance, sing and have hobbies. With them, Ullis explores the world of ‘seniors’. Ullis has to visit the widows’ market at the Ikivihreä discotheque, hot yoga for seniors and language courses at the adult education centre. And of course, Valtonen is also involved in women’s activities from time to time.

I so enjoy the fact that pensioners are not made model citizens or wise old people, but they can be just ‘normal’ people with all their activities and hobbies and faults. And they can dance Saturday night fever in a disco, for example.

Ullis’ children are enlightened middle-aged people who watch their mothers go by in horror. They would like to prepare for the worst, i.e. their mother’s old age, in time. They try to arrange guardianship, a will and a final disposal place for their mother. It feels as if the children are waiting for their mother’s death while waiting for the inheritance. Caring for them is less successful, they don’t understand what their mother needs from her life.

The Angry Widow is a joyful story about friendship, love and joyful aging, even if there are sometimes dark waters.  This is an interesting presentation of what it is like to be in your seventies in a society where the last age group of polls is 61-65 years.

The Angry Widow is a dramatisation of Minna Lindgren’s novel The Angry Widow. The dramaturg has been Henna Piirto. It is directed by Kimmo Virtanen.  Ullen is played by the wonderful Riitta Havukainen. Eija Vilpas, Pia Runnakko and Kai Lehtinen will be seen as great friends. And Ullis has Heikki Sankari and Sanna-June Hyde as children.

There will be a lot of good music in the performance – And I would especially like to highlight the songs performed by Kari Mattila . He plays Kari Kirjosiip in the play. Kari got cold shivers to the surface when he sang Tauski Peltonen’s beautiful song “You Only” to Ullis.  Kari Kirjosiipi is the object of Ullis’ infatuation.

Thank you Helsinki City Theatre for the invitation tickets to the premiere. The Angry Widow is a compelling performance that you will enjoy being around! Sparkling wine and pastry coffee crowned the evening. It is good to end this story with these words: “One day you die, all the other days you live. Remember that.”