Review: Manillaköysi

LAUGHTER AT THE MADNESS OF WAR

I haven’t been to the war, and I don’t happen to be a man either, but none of these obvious shortcomings prevented me from enjoying the Helsinki City Theatre’s Manilla Rope. I think I even choked my throat when the full audience jumped to their feet and directed their unstinging applause to the writer Veijo Meri, who appeared on stage at the end of the performance.

According to the story, the title of the play refers to the rope carried home by Private Joose Keppilä as spoils of war, the only usable object that grabbed the man’s hand from the campaign. The rope wrapped around the tight chest could also keep the man’s mind in check: at least he won’t come back empty-handed. Unfortunately, his wife Elviira nibbles the rope armor off Joose at the end. Reality must be embraced without armor, just as it is.

So what is it about the play dramatised by Lauri Sipari that speaks to you? Perhaps it is the distancing and looseness achieved through stylization under the direction of Petteri Sallinen , under the cover of which it is possible to laugh at war, war fatigue, soldiers who have gone mad, death, stubborn Finnish and former German comrades-in-arms.

The humour is sometimes directed directly at the audience, sometimes it ignites from the situation comedy developed by the men. The audience will be able to participate in a cluster of war stories, which is complemented by good music choices. In between, there is silence for blood-curdling experiences.

The play is on the rise. The first act serves as an introduction, and the most hearty laughs break out after the intermission. An additional plus is the snappy flow of the story. With intermissions, the performance lasts less than two hours.