Review: Kaasua, komisario Palmu!
Review: Inspector Palmu pampers nostalgia-hungry theatre
Helsinki City Theatre’s interpretation of Gas, Inspector Palmu! is faithful to the atmosphere of the black and white era.
The Helsinki City Theatre has jumped back in time almost 60 years – to the time when Gas, Inspector Palmu! premiered. The film, based on the novel by Mika Waltari, has been adapted for the stage to the great delight of all nostalgia-hungry people.
Inspector Palmu (Kari Väänänen) and detectives Virta (Heikki Ranta) and Kokki (Petrus Kähkönen) begin to investigate what initially appears to be an accidental death, which soon turns out to be a carefully planned murder. There are so many people after the rich deceased’s funds that almost anyone close to the lady, who is known to be short-tempered, could have left the deadly gas tap open.
In the Helsinki City Theatre’s version, Inspector Palmu is not tuned to a channel from the late 2010s, but the atmosphere, starting with the actors’ speaking style, is borrowed from the era of black-and-white films. The impression is further emphasized by jerky video clips projected onto the sets.
The performance is complemented by a five-piece jazz band that has not been hidden in an orchestra pit but has rightfully been brought into view. The soundscape is complemented by exaggerated sound effects that tickle the audience’s laughing nerves.
The delicacies of the performance are the small vocal clips, which give off a hazy pub atmosphere and, on the other hand, the unintentional comedy of old films. Miiko Toiviainen, who threw himself into the role of artist Kurt Kuurna, in particular, deserves praise for his wide-ranging voice and persuasion of it.
The Helsinki City Theatre has understood well that the wheel should not be reinvented every time. There is no need to tear up an old classic into a modern look, but an interpretation with a little extra spice is exactly what the audience thirsts for and deserves.
Gas, Inspector Palmu! at the Helsinki City Theatre until 18 May.