A new musical drama about the life of Vesa-Matti Loiri for the Helsinki City Theatre
In the 1970s and 1980s, the Finnish art and entertainment fields were strongly separated. Until an artist, Vesa-Matti Loiri, came along and conquered both. The Story of the Laughing Tramp is a musical drama directed by Paavo Westerberg, in which the adult Loiri is played by Santeri Kinnunen and the young Oliver Kollberg. The play will premiere on the big stage of the Helsinki City Theatre on 30 September.
Vesa-Matti Loiri (4.1.1945–10.8.2022) was an exceptionally versatile artist with a unique voice, who moved sovereignly between art and entertainment and worked with film, television, theatre and music. But how did he become a well-known, beloved folk artist?
Written by Sami Keski-Vähälä and adapted and directed by Paavo Westerberg , The Story of the Laughing Tramp tells the story of Loiri as an artist who trusted his intuition and inner voice. The play explores the world of Loiri’s key theatre and television works and meets some of his best-known film and entertainment characters. At the same time, the time frame in which the works were created is examined.
The focus of the play is on the 1970s and 1980s, but there are also glimpses of Loiri’s earlier years and later life. The play delves into the era of a unified culture, when art and entertainment were often seen against each other.
“A protagonist like this, who builds bridges between art and entertainment, right and left, is the best possible pastoral care at a time when we have polarization. The story of the Laughing Tramp is an important statement about the power of art to bring people together,” Paavo Westerberg sums up.
The play features music made famous by Loiri, compositions based on poems by Eino Leino and Uuno Kaila, among others, in new arrangements and embedded in the story. There will be a live band on stage, in addition to which the songs will be interpreted by a 13-member ensemble of actors.
The cast includes Santeri Kinnunen, Oliver Kollberg, Maria Ylipää, Joel Hirvonen, Vuokko Hovatta, Jouko Klemettilä, Lasse Lipponen, Ella Lymi, Vappu Nalbantoglu, Jari Pehkonen, Ursula Salo, Antti Timonen and Kaisa Torkkel.
The play is written by Sami Keski-Vähälä. The arrangement and direction is by Paavo Westerberg. The dramaturg is Ari-Pekka Lahti. The music dramaturgy and music arrangement are by Eeva Kontu. The set design is by Antti Mattila and the costume design is done by Tiina Kaukanen. The choreographer is Valtteri Raekallio. The lighting design is by Aku Lahti, the video design by Timo Teräväinen and the sound design by Jaakko Virmavirta. The camouflage is designed by Milja Mensonen.
Paavo Westerberg is a respected film and theatre director, screenwriter and playwright. Her previous productions at the Helsinki City Theatre were 2:22 A Ghost Story, Fanny and Alexander, Den besynnerliga eventn med hunden om natten and Hinta. Westerberg is also known for his film directing Therapy and Violinist , and he has received the Jussi Awards for the screenplays of the films White City and Evil Land .
Read the director’s interview on the theatre’s website: A song of praise to art and Loiri’s special qualities
The Story of a Laughing Tramp premieres on 30.9.2026 on the big stage of the Helsinki City Theatre (Eläintarhantie 5).
Tickets: basic ticket 64 €, student ticket 32 € (Mon-Thu) and pensioner ticket 61 € (Mon-Thu)
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Helsinki City Theatre’s ticket sales and customer service by phone (09) 394022 Mon-Fri 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Ticket offices First line 2, Mon-Fri 12-17, Eläintarhantie 5, Sat (on performance days) 11-18.30 and one hour before the performance and Lippu.fi, Mon-Sat 9-19, Sun 12-16, tel. 0600 900 900 (2 €/min + local network charge) www.hkt.fi
In the photo of the release: Santeri Kinnunen. Photo by: Ilkka Saastamoinen
Further information, media ticket reservations and interview requests:
Kaisa Pelkonen, Communications Manager, kaisa.pelkonen@hkt.fi, 040 552 3788
Helsinki City Theatre, Ensi linja 2, 00530 Helsinki