Mehis Pihla’s play “Business as Usual” published in French

On July 3rd, 2025, the French publishing house Parlatges published a French translation of Mehis Pihla’s play “Business as Usual” (“Rahamaa” in Estonian) in its series “Éditions l’Espace d’un instant”, translated by Martin Carayol. The play, published under the title “La Grande Lessive”, features a foreword by the Estonian journalist Holger Roonemaa.

“Business as Usual” (in Estonian “Rahamaa” – “Moneyland”) is inspired by the money laundering scandals that rocked Estonian banking. A young man from a suburb of Estonia’s second-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 carried in briefcases but in wheeled suitcases. The service is as secure as “shveitsarskaya” (Swiss), as secret as “ofshornaya” (offshore), and as familiar as “peterburskaya” (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 “Business as Usual” was on June 6, 2024 at the Tartu Kammivabrik by the Estonian Drama Theatre as part of the European Capital of Culture Tartu 2024 main programme (directed by Hendrik Toompere Jr). In 2025, Mehis Pihla won the Original Dramaturgy Award at the Estonian Theatre Awards for the play. 

Mehis Pihla (born 1988) is a playwright, screen-writer, and director. His works staged at the Estonian Drama Theatre include “Forest Forte” (2018), “Dragon’s Curse” (2018), “Soloist” (2022), “Master Solness” (also as director, 2022), and “Once in Lebanon” (2025). He has also directed plays at the Estonian Drama Theatre, including “A Doll’s House, Part 2” (nominated for Director of the Year) and “Oh, God” (2020). He co-wrote the feature films “Kalev” (2019, EFTA Best Feature Film) and “Our Erika” (2025) and was a screenwriter for the TV series “Alo” (2018) and “When Life Tasted Good” (2024). Pihla has also written successful stand-up scripts and sketch comedies.

Find more information and order a copy of “La Grande Lessive” at the Parlatges homepage: https://parlatges.org/produit/la-grande-lessive-mehis-pihla/ 

The translation and publication of “La Grande Lessive” were supported by Traducta.