Finland: 9 Shows You Don't Want To Miss in 2019

Questions about power and authority; stories of nostalgy; colorful, imaginative and comedic history; romance; music and humor. The 2019 theatreproductions in Finland look promising!

All Descriptions translated from the original Finnish texts of the theatrepages.

THE CHERRY ORCHARD at the Helsinki City Theatre
A classic piece from a imaginative director

Anton Tšehov's last play The Cherry Orchard is a story about a family who's faced a tragedy that's not being talked about. It tells about nostalgy and its destructiveness, longing to somewhere that hasn't existed, secret dreams, slaves and masters, opportunism and idealism. And as always in life, though you wouldn't admit it, love.

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DOGHILL'S FINLAND'S HISTORY at the National Theatre's Small Stage
A play to the whole family

Who was Gustav I of Sweden? Or Queen Christina? Why Finns got their own ABC-book? Were there witches in Finland during the times of Sweden's authority? Were there really cudgels in the Cudgel War? What happened to the Vasa-boat when it was first set to sail? How was the Natural Science like in Finland in the 18th century?

To these and lots of other questions we'll get an answer when Mauri Kunnas' beloved characters are brought alive on the National Theatre's small stage!

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MEDUSA'S ROOM at the Q-theatre
An original script with a touching, topical theme

Medusa, according to Greek mythology was a beautiful young lady, whom Poseidon raped. As a punishment to Medusa she was turned into a terrible monster with hair of snakes.

Medusa's room is a fragmentary performance that has gotten inspiration from the Medusa's myth. It's subtle, a dreamlike tale of a gender and power attached to it, and how to make one silent. The play examines these themes with the help of music and visuality.

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NISKAVUORI'S HETA at the Theatre Jurkka
A modern view to a classical piece

"I stand where I stand."

Hella Wuolijoki's Niskavuori-playseries are thought to be a builder of Finnish identity. What will we learn from the past, present moment or the future, when generations find a seat at the same table?

Why do I leave? What will I do with my life? How to face death? Identity is incomplete, it changes consistently, just like life itself. Who or what is Heta Niskavuori in 2019?

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HARRIET at the Grouptheatre
An original piece from an awarded playwright

Does everyone have their right to their own truth? How is history shaped? What do we remember when we remember happenings before us? The newest play from awarded Playwright and director Milja Sarkola's is based on various of historical texts, from nonfiction books to diaries and from novels to biographical books. Sarkola is one of our times crucial and interesting theater makers. Her previous works include (not translated): Perheenjäsen, Jotain toista - henkilökohtaisen halun näyttämö, Allt som sägs and I would prefer not to.

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LOVE LETTERS at the Tampere City Theatre
A Pulitzer prized play on a Finnish Stage with legendary Finnish actors

Andrew and Melissa have been friends since childhood and write to each other letters throughout their decades. They live their own lifes, build careers and relationships, get to middle-age and grow old. Occasionally, either of them suggests a meeting.

Love letters is a Pulitzer-prized play, whose characters will take on one of Finland's most beloved actors, Seela Sella and Esko Roine. This play has been performed around the world by various famous actors, for example Elizabeth Taylor, Gerard Depardieu, Mia Farrow, Tom Hanks ja Mel Gibson.

The play has a twist: it musn't be learnt by heart, but the show is happening in the moment, here and now. There won't be any delicate think backs or longing nostalgia, but the writing of the letters is honest, full of life, reckless and fun.

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HAMLET at the Turku City theatre
A modern, massive version of the legendary play

"Hamlet is one of the greatest plays, timeless and full of possibilities to fresh interpretations. The picture it paints of people who are blinded of power is sheer honest and still fully understandable play. There's a lot at hand in the story, which provokes thoughts, hrills and excites the audience. Personally in Hamlet the structures of power intrigue me, which Shakepseare's text is full of. The play's macabre, but still human world deals power's different manifestations through a modern lense, like political, sexual and gender based power", the director tells about his approach to the play.

On the Turku City Theatre's main Stage we'll see a massive performace that will speak to the people of this age, while at the backround we'll hear music composed by Sanna Salmenkallio, played by the Turku's philharmonic orchestra. As Hamlet we'll see Jussi Nikkilä, Eero Aho as Claudius, Kirsi Tarvainen as Gertrude, Carl-Kristian Rundman as Polonius, Pia Andersson as Ophelia, Markus Järvenpää as Laertes and Severi Saarinen as Horatio.

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MAKING OF LEA at the KOM-theatre
An original script about historical, legendary Finnish people

In Juha Hurme's newest comedy we'll meet some charming, terrific and desperate folks that are bringing Aleksis Kivi's new Lea-play into the premiere. Though trying hard, almost everything that might go wrong does go wrong. In the rehearsal room under the palm trees the omens of destruction, the stormy desires and Babel's tower mixture of laguages, dominate. Aleksis Kivi's alcoholism and dawning madness creates a real hell out of the rehearsals.

The Premiere's coming. The performer of the leading role, from Stockholm to Finland hired miss Charlotte Raa can't utter a word in Finnish. Kivi's best critiques August Ahlqvist and senate Agathon Meurman are becoming aggressive beforehand.

Making of Lea is almost true and tells almost everything about the birthing of Finland and Finnishness in 1869. And thus it shows who we modern people are and where do we come from.

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