Happy to Stand

A sequel to Peltola’s popular work Suomen hevonen (The Finnhorse). A divorced, unemployed, former factory seamstress and housekeeper of a small farm, Aili Kotala, has been forced to give up her farm and move into a 24 square metre single room flat to the centre of a nearby town. Despite her dreams, and owing to a surprising turn of events, Aila ends up having to share her dull rented 1960s apartment with her increasingly vivacious mother. As the play progresses, other relatives and acquaintances also pile up under the concrete roof of the building for protection from the continuous disappointments of life. “As a writer and director, I was tempted by the possibility to bring back to life the central characters from my play The Finnhorse. “It was a unique opportunity to extend a series of theatre games with the same actors, which of course in its own way was taken quite far already during the period of the Commedia dell’Arte. As a departure point, the intimate space of Kellariteatteri (lit. “The Cellar Theatre”) already allows a writer to observe the roles in close examination. A further point of interest is that the work of the director and the actors in a small space presents a possibility to work with minimalistic dimensions. A small stage is in proper relation with the story’s events, where the characters are driven from an open landscape into a crammed nook where they are pressed on all sides by concrete walls. The play features a group of have-nots, people who have fallen off the welfare ride. Yet, they still possess a strong voice — as well as some worn-out sleeping mats.” (Source: Sirkku Peltola 21.11.2007, Tampere Työväen Teatteri 2008)