News
The thousandth performance of Stones in Your Pocket in December – the record-breaking perennial favourite will continue in the repertoire until the end of 2026
Helsinki City Theatre's play Stones in Your Pocket will have its 1,000th performance on 17 December. The favourite performance has broken Finnish records both in terms of performances and as the longest-running full-length play in the repertoire. The performance, which premiered 23 years ago and has become a phenomenon, will continue in the programme for only the autumn season of 2026.Stones in the Pocket, starring Martti Suosalo and Mika Nuojua, had its Finnish premiere on 24 October 2002 at the Helsinki City Theatre's studio Pasila. The performance, written by Irish Marie Jones and directed by Pentti Kotkaniemi, has attracted 364,000 viewers. Many of the viewers have seen the performance, which has become a phenomenon, several times. In December, it will be the turn of the thousandth performance. Now, the last performance date for the long-time favourite has also been set for November 2026.
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The world’s best-known love story with a new ending: & Julia, the hit musical, will premiere in Finland in autumn 2026
What happens if Juliet doesn't follow Romeo but chooses life? The musical & Juliet, which charmed audiences in London and Broadway, updates Shakespeare's classic to the present day by challenging the idea that a woman's story is dependent on a man. The end result is a sprawling, attitude-filled pop delight with hit songs by Britney Spears, Bon Jovi and Katy Perry, among others, which will be directed to HKT's big stage by the musical wizard Samuel Harjanne. On the 20th anniversary of the E-nsi.eOct 2026. What if Shakespeare's Romeo and Juliet didn't end in death, but Juliet survived the tragedy? This is the question posed in The Musical & Julia, in which William Shakespeare and his wife Anne Hathaway rewrite the ending of the classic – Juliet gets to choose differently and start over. There are many levels that run side by side in the musical. Shakespeare and Hathaway brainstorm, write and comment on Juliet's new story, which Shakespeare's theatre troupe performs on stage.& Julia is an energetic jukebox musical where the 16th century theatre world meets the disco and party aesthetics of the 21st century. "Let's shake the dust off Shakespeare! The genius of the musical Jukebox is measured by how skillfully the scriptwriters weave the flow of the story together with the lyrics of hits known to everyone. It creates such speed and energy that the audience will definitely not be able to stay in their seats at the end of the thank you at the latest," says theatre director Kari Arffman.
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David Sandqvist appointed as Artistic Director of Lilla Teatern
The Board of Directors of the Helsinki Theatre Foundation has appointed David Sandqvist, Master of Arts (Theatre and Drama), as the Artistic Director of Lilla Teatern. The second contract period of the current Artistic Director Jakob Höglund ends on 31 July 2026, when Höglund will move on to other duties.
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Helsinki City Theatre’s Stage for Contemporary Performance – open call for summer residencies for 2027
Helsinki City Theatre's Stage for Contemporary Performance – Open Call for the 2027 Summer Residency
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Helsinki City Theatre’s new theatre restaurant FOYER opened on Hämeentie
We opened a theatre restaurant next to the Arena stage on Hämeentie, which exudes HKT's history. The facilities in the foyer of the Arena stage have also been renovated to match the atmosphere of the stage hall from the 1920s.
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