Note: No longer in repertoire!

The Kuusinen family have just moved into a new home. But their anticipation of Christmas is overshadowed by their mother’s unemployment. The family’s children, Usko, Toivo and Lempi, decide to venture into the forest to find a Christmas tree, as the family cannot afford to buy one this year.

In the forest, they meet animals and trees that can talk. When a new construction project once again threatens the forest, the children join forces with the animals to save it. First, they must find a way to stop the logging. Standing in their way is a greedy mayor and his henchmen.

Helsinki City Theatre and ShedHelsinki’s Metsän joulu is a festive tale of an unexpected friendship and the importance of forests. Friendship and working together are also at the heart of the creative process, as children and young people from a wide variety of backgrounds create the production together with theatre professionals.

The musical features nearly one hundred children and young people aged 8-21. Most have been involved in ShedHelsinki’s musical theatre programme since it began in 2016, while some are taking to a major stage for the first time. Some of the young performers use wheelchairs, while for others, performing helps them focus – and every one of them has the courage and determination to give it their all.