Review: Palvelija

Martti Suosalo charms in The Servant

Do you recognize a servant character in yourself? The kind of selflessly working for others, helping, advising, comforting and empathizing. Do you even happen to be a service professional: for example, a nurse, a priest, a police officer, a hairdresser or a midwife?

Author Kari Hotakainen’s new play on the Arena stage of the Helsinki City Theatre delves into the core of servanthood. As a self-righteous choice for the role of the monologue play The Servant is Martti Suosalo, who has also directed the performance together with Raila Leppäkoski.

The event is called for a play or “seminar”, as the main character, the charming old-time Detective Chief Inspector Arto Jylhämö (Suosalo) calls it, the theme of which is human nature with its superficial shine, weaknesses and surprising sides. We are like peasant dolls. Our core is often hidden. What breaks the backbone of a humble servant and makes him a killer?

Before our eyes, Martti Suosalo transforms from a detective to a sissy and an exhausted caregiver, low-paid stretching professionals. Suosalo’s mimicry and gestures are incomparable. As a priest, he gets the audience to sing a hymn at the funeral of “Mushroom Picker Seija”. The text is very recognizable from Hotakainen. From the hilarious character portrait at the beginning, we move on to contemplating the darkest sides of human nature.

ESSI SALONEN