Review: THE PLAY THAT GOES WRONG Goes Finely Right at Turku City Theatre

Before the play even starts we get into the right mood of hilarious bumbling!

The Play That Goes Wrong!

Things fall of, stage men and women hustle on the stage that's not even ready yet. The play had a good intro with the giggly, proud "director" Teemu Aromaa. He also made a cameo role as the detective in the play they performed to us.

The first part that made me laugh the most instead of just viewing the happenings with a wide girn was the doorknob and how it wiggled but no one came through he door-- though still the dialgoue continued! A little brisker articulation at the beginning would have been needed but it went on rolling well after some time, especially with Miska Kaukonen as Henkka or the headwaiter Perkins who ended up being one of my top favorite performances of the night! Thumbs up, Miska!! He had a clear voice after the little beginning mumbling of all the characters and a frisk, clear theatre physique that I desire to my own acting too. One of my favorite moments was when he nodded in the wrong directions by greeting miss Colleymoore and mr. Haversham. Also the whole scene with "Goooood question..." and how it looped and looped, ah!

The red lightning effect and drama brought the perfect pre-example and anticipation to some even more dramatic scenes that came later on. The characters supported each other and the chemistries were well balanced! The audience itself was very good that night with all of the deserved applauses in the middle of the scenes. I loved how the character of Peter Ahlqvist as Masa or Cevil Haversham's main thing was to be a little too aware of the audience and glow in the limelight AND he used it perfectly while the audience clapped in the middle of the scenes-- and he smiled sweetly and bowed a little, acting as if he was out of character. Well done! Perfect!

Another favorite character, though none of them were a weak link, was Teemu Aromaa's director/inspector performance of which I mentioned at the beginning. He was witty with his legs and polished, comedic theatre physique and his voice was also clear and good throughout the show. Perhaps my absolute favorite moment of the evening was with the "account book" -scene. Oh, how I enjoyed it! Aromaa went on with the artistic flow very well and wasn't afraid to shout. From Iikka Forss' acting I have to pin point his great working with his eyes! Also, I loved the moment with the "Write down this memo" and how the notebook just flipped onto the floor. In that moment there was just something real, just how the gravity sucked the notebook: couldn't have gone worse-- or better, should I say?

The play had good pacing. I still see the image in my head where the characters are set on stage neatly and they spit at the same time just to the right directions-- in harmony! Good directing, Mika Eirtovaara. The only thing I have to be a little unhappy about were the hits on stage, mainly delivered by Riitta Salminen as Anna, the stagemanager at Ella Lahdenmäki as Sanna or Florence Colleymoore. They weren't that believable-- almost any of the hits that made people faint. Otherwise the acting part of Salminen and Lahdenmäki suited finely their characters! I also would have wanted to see the actors reacting and emphasizing more strongly to the "height" of the platform on stage for a bigger impact.

I also have to top my hat to the set design of the multitalent Peter Ahlqvist. The painting behind the window brought perfect depth to the setting! Also what comes to Ahlqivist's other character, the Gardener, his thick mittens brought perfect, comedic emphasizing to his hands' movements. Kudos to Tiina Valkama, the costume designer.

Markus Ilkka Uolevi was hilarious as Teuvo, the lighting and sound man. I'm so glad he found his Duran Duran's CD. I also enjoyed the detail of the fuzzy dices and how they-- hopefully-- made the audience look that way before the whole show even began. Without those details it would have been easier to think that the area is not part of the show, though it was.

Overall the show was finely detailed and hilarious and swung along with it: the fadings of the beginnig and the ending of the play were just flawless and warm with all of its little bumbles... Thumbs up the whole of Turku City Theatre, yet again!

Article: Rosanna Liuski
Photos: Otto-Ville Väätäinen

The Play That Goes Wrong (Näytelmä joka Menee Pieleen)

Text: Henry Lewis, Jonathan Sayer, Henry Shields
Translator: Mikko Koivusalo
Directing: Mika Eirtovaara
Set Design: Peter Ahlqvist
Costume Design: Tiina Valkama
Lightning Design: Mika Randell
Sound Design: Jari Tengström
Theatre Makeup: Minna Pilvinen

On Staege Peter Ahlqvist, Teemu Aromaa, Iikka Forss, Markus Ilkka Uolevi, Miska Kaukonen, Ella Lahdenmäki, Severi Saarinen, Riitta Salminen

Näytelmä joka Menee Pieleen arvostelu