JOHNNY GOT HIS GUN Comes to Edinburgh Fringe

After a grenade hits him on the battlefield, a soldier wakes up in hospital without his limbs, eyes, ears and mouth. Based on the 1938 anti-war novel by American writer Dalton Trumbo and created by Essi Rossi, Johannes Holopainen and Pauli Riikonen, this emotionally charged new show examines the life-changing impact fighting in World War I had on the returning soldiers. Once a fierce patriot, the injured soldier has sacrificed everything in the belief that fighting for liberty and democracy was the right things to do. Now he questions everything he's been taught to dream. What is the true cost of his bravery and the impact of the tragedy - not just on him, but on all the others like him too?

Joe Bonham lies in a hospital bed recovering from horrific injuries incurred when a grenade hit him, leaving him feeling like he is trapped inside a prison of his own thoughts. Breaking through this barrier, he takes the audience on a fearless journey through his wartime experience and the events of the 1900s leading up to the tragedy. At once deeply personal and powerfully universal, Joe's story is a striking reminder of the tragedy of war and the legacy of trauma.

Johnny Got His Gun was written by Dalton Trumbo in 1938, and adapted for film in 1971, directed by Trumbo. The novel won the 1939 award for Most Original Book from the National Book Awards for American authors. It has previously been adapted for stage by Bradley Rand Smith, appearing on Broadway in 1982 and Southwark Playhouse in 2014.

Director Essi Rossi said "Johnny is undead and his stage stands for peace, empathy and life in its all forms as long as needed. He has lost it all but we haven't, we still have a chance if we open our eyes and ears and hearts."

Performer Johannes Holopainen said "I hear you, Joe. It takes a fool to believe words - a made-up thing possible to trick who listens and arm them with beliefs. Words can never truly reveal the gift of life, which is beyond words. Something we can see, hear, smell, taste and feel."

Essi Rossi is a Finnish theatre director and performer. Her work is driven by the question of creating change in an era of mass destruction and unmet desires. Previous shows include Tainaron, transmission form the posthuman world of insects, and ICE, a play about the structure of fascism at a cult meeting. Rossi's show Ejaculation - Discussions About Female Sexuality was performed at Summerhall as part of the Edinburgh Fringe 2019.

Johannes Holopainen is a Finnish actor and film star known for his charismatic presence, physical range, and emotional depth. He's often portrayed characters driven by life-changing motives, facing the almost impossible counterforce, in works dealing with societal pressure on the individual, existential questions, and boundaries of realities and identities. Holopainen makes his first appearance on a Fringe stage in 2022.

From Start to Finnish is an annual showcase presented at the Edinburgh Festival Fringe that represents the best in Finnish performing arts. Returning to Edinburgh for its tenth year, From Start to Finnish 2022 features four additional shows: Kvartetto (Summerhall), Receptionists (Summerhall) Raging Mother (ZOO Southside) and Lion (Assembly Rooms). In previous years, the showcase has included the award-winning Cock, Cock... Who's There? and The Desk, the Fringe First-winning physical theatre piece based on first-hand experiences of being in a cult.

To post a comment, you must register and login.