{"id":34109,"date":"2025-08-26T12:05:31","date_gmt":"2025-08-26T09:05:31","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.draamateater.ee\/?post_type=publication&p=34109"},"modified":"2025-08-26T12:40:39","modified_gmt":"2025-08-26T09:40:39","slug":"47-mehis-pihla-business-as-usual","status":"publish","type":"publication","link":"https:\/\/www.draamateater.ee\/en\/valjaanded\/47-mehis-pihla-business-as-usual\/","title":{"rendered":"47. Mehis Pihla \u201eBusiness as Usual\u201c"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

N\u00e4idendiraamatu sarja 47. raamat on Mehis Pihla n\u00e4idendi \u201eRahamaa\u201c<\/a> inglisekeelne t\u00f5lge, t\u00f5lkijaks Adam Cullen. Raamatut saab osta Eesti Draamateatri kassast ning raamatupoodidest.<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n

\u201eBusiness as Usual\u201c is inspired by money laundering scandals that rocked Estonia\u2019s banking sector. A young man from a suburb of Estonia\u2019s sec\u00adond-largest city lands a job at a Scandinavian bank branch in the capital city, Tallinn, where the primary clients turn out to be oligarchs from Russia and further east. Cash is not car\u00adried in briefcases but in wheeled suitcases. The service is as secure as \u201eshveitsarskaya\u201c (Swiss), as secret as \u201eofshornaya\u201c (offshore), and as familiar as \u201epeterburskaya\u201c (St. Petersburg-style). This darkly humorous story offers a glimpse into the world of the ultra-rich and reveals how money laundering has shaped Western politics for decades, as well as why it is so difficult to abandon illicit money.

The world premiere of \u201eBusiness as Usual\u201c was on June 6, 2024, at the Estonian Drama Theatre\u2019s Tartu Kammivabrik as part of the European Capital of Culture \u2013 Tartu\u2019s Main Program (directed by Hendrik Toompere Jr). It was translated into English by Adam Cullen.

The production based on Pihla’s play \u201eRahamaa\u201c won several annual Estonian theatre awards in 2025, including Mehis Pihla for Best Play, T\u00f5nis Niinemets for Best Actor, Taavi Teplenkov for Best Supporting Actor, Maria Faust for Best Original Music in a Drama Performance, and Lauri Kaldoja for Best Sound Design (\u201eRahamaa\u201c et al.).<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Mehis Pihla<\/strong> (born 1988) is a playwright, screen\u00adwriter, and director. His works staged at the Estonian Drama Theatre include \u201eForest Forte\u201c (2018), \u201eDragon\u2019s Curse\u201c (2018), \u201eSoloist\u201c (2022), \u201eMaster Solness\u201c (also as director, 2022), and \u201eOnce in Lebanon\u201c (2025). He has also directed plays at the Estonian Drama Theatre, including \u201eA Doll\u2019s House, Part 2\u201c (nominated for Director of the Year) and \u201eOh, God\u201c (2020). He co-wrote the feature films \u201eKalev\u201c (2019, EFTA Best Feature Film) and \u201eOur Erika\u201c (2025) and was a screenwriter for the TV series \u201eAlo\u201c (2018) and \u201eWhen Life Tasted Good\u201c (2024). Pihla has also written successful stand-up scripts and sketch comedies.

\u201eBusiness as Usual\u201c is the 47th edition of the series N\u00e4idendiraamat. The book is available at the box office of Estonian Drama Theatre and Estonian bookshops.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Editor \u2192 Ene Paaver
Seris and Book Designer \u2192 Kert Lokotar
Production photos \u2192 Heikki Leis
Published by \u2192 Eesti Draamateater (2025)<\/p>\n\n\n\n

More information about the production \u2192 <\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n


<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

N\u00e4idendiraamatu sarja 47. raamat on Mehis Pihla n\u00e4idendi \u201eRahamaa\u201c inglisekeelne t\u00f5lge, t\u00f5lkijaks Adam Cullen. Raamatut saab osta Eesti Draamateatri kassast ning raamatupoodidest.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"menu_order":6,"template":"","publication_group":[54],"class_list":["post-34109","publication","type-publication","status-publish","hentry","publication_group-naidendiraamatud"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"\n47. 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