Note: No longer in repertoire!

The friends sink deeper and deeper into the sofa. The spaces between their vertebrae fill with fluid.

Then the doorbell rings.

Somatic Sitcom is a performance that reveals the comedy in everyday situations, objects and spaces. It finds poetry in small gestures: a door opening, bodies sinking into a sofa and glances exchanged between friends.

The setting is a room familiar from 1990s sitcoms. Suddenly, the doorbell rings. Someone opens the door. Another person tosses a coat onto the rack. Seemingly insignificant gestures unfold into a captivating choreography that invites us to observe the wonder and strangeness of everyday life.

Their jaws grow heavy and slacken. The ball-and-socket joints of their shoulders and hips slowly begin to open. One of the sofa’s legs breaks.

Somatic Sitcom grew out of choreographer Anna Maria Häkkinen, set designer Erno Aaltonen and dramaturg Emil Santtu Uuttu’s shared fascination with classic 1990s sitcoms. The creative team deconstructs the rhythms, gestures and moods of sitcoms from the era, subtly weaving them into the language of contemporary dance and physical expression.

The trio have previously collaborated on Phoenix – a deep relaxation serotonin release (2023), created for dance students at the Theatre Academy of Uniarts Helsinki, and Afterglow, low lingering slips of light (2023), which premiered at the Performa Biennial in New York.

Somatic Sitcom is part of the programme of Stage for Contemporary Performance. Based at Studio Pasila, Stage for Contemporary Performance brings new forms of performing arts to Helsinki City Theatre’s programme and creates unique encounters between an established professional theatre and independent practitioners.

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Five friends sink deeper and deeper into the sofa. The spaces between their vertebrae fill with fluid.

Then the doorbell rings.

Somatic Sitcom is a performance that reveals the comedy embedded in everyday situations, objects, and spaces. It discovers poetry in small gestures: opening a door, melting into a couch, the glances exchanged between friends.

The setting is a room familiar from 1990s sitcoms. Suddenly, the doorbell rings. Someone opens the door. Another tosses a coat onto the rack. Seemingly insignificant actions expand into a captivating choreography that invites us to observe the strangeness and wonder of everyday life.

Their jaws grow heavy and slacken. The ball-and-socket joints of shoulders and hips slowly begin to open. 

Then one of the sofa’s legs snaps and breaks.

Behind Somatic Sitcom lies a shared fascination with classic 1990s sitcoms between choreographer Anna Maria Häkkinen, scenographer Erno Aaltonen, and dramaturg Emil Santtu Uuttu. The team dismantles the rhythms, gestures, and atmospheres of sitcoms from that era and subtly translates them into the language of contemporary dance and embodied expression.

The trio has previously collaborated on Phoenix – a deep relaxation serotonin release (2023), created for dance students at the Theatre Academy of the University of the Arts Helsinki, as well as Afterglow, low lingering slips of light (2023), which premiered at the Performa Biennial in New York.

Somatic Sitcom is part of the programme of Stage for Contemporary Performance. Based at Studio Pasila, Stage for Contemporary Performance brings new forms of performing arts into the repertoire of Helsinki City Theatre and creates unique encounters between an established institutional theatre and independent artists.

View the programme