Review: Täti ja minä

WHY ISN’T MY AUNT DYING ALREADY?


Morris Panych’s play Aunt and I, directed by Raila Leppäkoski, highlights topical and important themes: loneliness, general indifference and the death that approaches us every day.

It is not customary to talk about death, not always even when a serious illness makes it likely. The aunt in the play has decided to cross the relationship that has been chilling for years and has sent a letter to her nephew telling him that death is approaching. The nephew packs his suitcase and sets off on a journey that hopefully won’t be long, as his aunt is already checking in, as it were.

Panych approaches painful questions with black and light humor. At the beginning of the play, the sketches and jokes are short, and the lights are turned off every now and then. The aunt’s weave grows, but death doesn’t come. The nephew starts to get nervous and arranges a funeral. The thought of hastening death is already on my mind.

After the intermission, the scenes become longer and the emotions come into play better. The nephew’s background also begins to become clearer and compassion grows. Jouko Klemettilä is gorgeous, physical and wonderfully neurotic in his role as Kemppi. Maybe it would be refreshing to get into a different type of role after that?

Ritva Valkama doesn’t talk much from under her chin-length blanket, but look closely at Grace’s purr, the wiggle of her leg, the rolling of her eyes and the raising of her eyebrows. An example of how to be present at events “without doing anything”.

The problem with Panych’s play may be that by laughing lightly, it involuntarily offers an opportunity to ward off the intolerability of death. In the play, too, the story flies as long as death is a wish. When that happens, the silent question remains: Why can’t we all leave at the same time?