Bengt Ahlfors’ exquisite monologue, which he wrote specifically for Lasse Pöysti, is seen in the Pärnu International Theatre Festival MONOMAFFIA in Finnish. The play tells about a man, living on his own in the heart of downtown Helsinki. The Mother is dead, the dog likewise, and the man’s only companion and someone to talk to is the apartment building’s old lift, who has watched over
his journey through life since childhood.
The Grand Old Man of Swedishspeaking theatre in Finland, the writer, director and Theatre Manager, Bengt Ahlfors, mentions three incentives for the creation of the play. “The first reason was the loneliness of elderly people; the second, the elevator on the street Eerikinkatu where my office is. The third reason was Lasse Pöysti.”
Indeed, who else could be as skilful in drawing with tender, gracious subtlety a portrait of this seemingly insignificant little man? Pöysti creates a masterful image of the little boy who still resides
inside the aging man and a human being’s long struggle towards a meaningful life.
The warm, humoristic narration brings lightness to the theme of loneliness, and Pöysti’s flair in holding the audience at his fingertips is well known for being beyond comparison.
