Finnski hesturinn (Suomen hevonen)

Peltola’s play paints a tragicomic picture of life in the rural EU hinterlands, where the traditional, respected way of life is being crushed under the wheels of dynamic EU bureaucracy. The Finnhorse, a breed that the playwright describes as headstrong yet meek, stubborn yet humble, serious, patient and content with poor pasture, symbolises the rural way of life, but the young man in the play, Kai, delivers a blunt verdict on this noble creature; in his opinion it has outlived its usefulness. Kai would rather ride a Harley Davidson – a childish young man’s pie-in-the-sky dream which marks the beginning of the end of the family farm. Life at the farm is already somewhat chaotic because, despite having gotten divorced over ten years ago, the mistress of the house and her ex-husband still live together as neither of them can afford to buy the other one out. The household also includes an active, cynical granny and a coarse-mouthed teenage daughter who is waiting for her life to acquire some sort of meaning. Present is also the ex-husband’s new girlfriend who visits the house on her bicycle to sleep over and promote spiritual growth. Peltola’s characters are almost mad, and she has drawn them as near caricatures, but at the same time they are also easily recognisable and have plenty of meat on their bones. The text is absurdly funny and free flowing, and it is easy to see that Peltola is a professional director from the way the dialogue gives space and material for the actors’ own interpretations. (Tinfo/Sunklo)