Aleksi from Finland as a play for the Helsinki City Theatre
Helsinki City Theatre brings to the stage the true story of Finnish professional soldier Aleksi Lysander (1989–2024). The play Aleksi Suomesta has been dramatised by Ari-Pekka Lahti from Tuomas Kyrö’s book of the same name, which was nominated for the Finlandia Prize for non-fiction (WSOY, 2023). The play, directed by Tuomas Rinta-Panttila, will premiere on 9 October on a small stage.
The son of a Finnish mother and a Senegalese father who spent his childhood on his grandparents’ farm in Oulu decided to become a soldier and joined the Foreign Legion at the age of 18. He served in Afghanistan and several African countries. He was one of the first volunteers to go to Ukraine in 2022, returned to Finland from time to time, but left for Ukraine again in the fall of 2024, where he passed away in the last days of the year.
“The play has been prepared in collaboration with Aleksi Lysander , and his wish was that the performance would be carried out and become as honest as possible a description of the aftermath of war and how war is never the right solution,” says dramatist Ari-Pekka Lahti.
“In the current global political climate, as confrontations escalate and rhetoric hardens, it is important to remember what war ultimately is and what it does to individuals. On an individual level, it is not a question of politics, spheres of interest, groupings or interests, it is a matter of personal tragedies,” says director Tuomas Rinta-Panttila.
“We tried to make the work, despite its tough subject matter, sensitive, fragile and honest. In art, war is usually depicted through the mouth of a third party, someone who has no experience of war. In this work, the experiencer, the soldier, gets a voice. The aim of us creators is to make ourselves as invisible as possible, to become mediators, narrators, as it were. To let Aleksi’s story move from the stage to the viewer as unfiltered as possible,” Rinta-Panttila continues.
The delicate and shocking story is presented by actors Roderick Kabanga and Eetu Känkänen.
The set design, lighting and video design of the performance is by Mika Haaranen. The costumes are designed by Elina Kolehmainen. The composition and sound design is by Aleksi Saura and the disguise is designed by Tuula Kuittinen. The dramaturg is Sanna Niemeläinen.
Aleksi Suomesta premieres on 9.10.2025 on the small stage of the Helsinki City Theatre (Eläintarhantie 5).
Tickets will go on sale on 18.3.2025. Basic ticket €47, student ticket €23.50 (Mon-Thu) and pensioner ticket €44 (Mon-Thu)
#aleksisuomesta @hktfi
Helsinki City Theatre ticket sales and customer service by phone (09) 3940 22 Mon-Fri 9 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 9-21, Sun 10-16, tel. 0600 900 900 (2 €/from min+local network charge) www.hkt.fi
Press photos can be found in the media bank and press releases in the newsroom.
In the photo: Roderick Kabanga and Eetu Känkänen. Photo Ilkka Saastamoinen.
Further information, interview requests and media ticket requests:
Kaisa Pelkonen, Communications Manager, kaisa.pelkonen@hkt.fi, 040 552 3788
Helsinki City Theatre, Ensi linja 2, 00530 Helsinki