Elolliset examines the history of species extinction by highlighting the Steller’s sea cow as the main character
Based on Iida Turpeinen’s bestselling novel (Publisher S&S, 2023), Living follows the story of an extinct species from the 1700s to the present day. In the audio-visually impressive co-production of the Helsinki City Theatre and the WAUHAUS collective, a group of people who have lived at turning points in the history of natural science march onto the stage. The play, dramatised by Pipsa Longa, will premiere on 3 September on a small stage.
Living Creatures takes place in the Natural History Museum in Helsinki, from where the viewer is transported to different centuries and different parts of the world with a museum guide. Through the story of Steller’s Sea Cow, the audience is introduced to the birth of the concept of extinction.
The Steller’s sea cow, discovered in the 1740s, disappeared from the face of the earth in just a few decades. At that time, people did not yet understand that they could cause biodiversity loss and wipe out entire species with their own actions.
“These themes are not very often dealt with in theatre, often the main role is played by human relationships. We were interested in how to look at the topic without blaming but without avoiding responsibility. I feel that this is a topical question in our time,” says director Juni Klein.
“One of the key tasks of our theatre is to highlight stories that really make you stop. Biodiversity loss and extinction affect us all, but they rarely reach the skin. Iida Turpeinen’s text manages to be thriller-like addictive and at the same time exceptionally important in its observations. We are proud to be able to bring it to the stage in a fresh and strong way,” says theatre director Kari Arffman.
The distinctive theatrical language of the WAUHAUS collective, which is responsible for the artistic design of Living Beings, aims to draw a change in the worldview caused by extinction in all its confusion.
“It is often typical for us to work in the middle ground between the tragic and the amusing, which opens paths to understanding and emotion. We aim to ensure that light, sound and spatial design are as central narrative tools as a text written for the stage,” says Laura Haapakangas from the WAUHAUS collective.
Elollinen will feature Rauno Ahonen, Noora Dadu, Heidi Herala, Sanna-June Hyde, Unto Nuora, Mikko Paloniemi, Justus Pienmunne, Aino Seppo and Alexander Wendelin.
Pipsa Lonka has dramatised the work based on Iida Turpeinen’s original text. The concept of the stage work has been developed by Laura Haapakangas, Juni Klein, Heidi Soidinsalo from WAUHAUS, and Erno Aaltonen as a guest artist. The director of the work is Juni Klein, the set and costume design is by Laura Haapakangas, the lighting design is by Erno Aaltonen and the sound design is by Heidi Soidinsalo. The video is designed by Erno Aaltonen and Laura Haapakangas together, the choreographer is Kauri Sorvari and the make-up is designed by Jaana Nykänen. The dramaturg of the work is Ari-Pekka Lahti.
Iida Turpeinen’s novel Elolliset is the most successful Finnish debut novel of all time. The book was published in 2023 and won the Helsingin Sanomat Debut Book Award, was nominated for the Finlandia Prize, made it to the New York Times’ list of recommended readings for historical fiction, and its translation rights have currently been sold to almost 30 language areas.
WAUHAUS is an award-winning multidisciplinary collective based in Helsinki, known for its comprehensive audiovisual stage aesthetics and shared authorship operating models.
Read the interview with director Juni Klein and scenographer Laura Haapakangas on the theatre’s website: On the Trail of Steller’s Sea Cow premieres on 3.9.2026 on the small stage of the Helsinki City Theatre (Eläintarhantie 5).
Basic ticket €47, student ticket €23.50 (Mon-Thu) and pensioner ticket €44 (Mon-Thu)
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Photo: Jaakko Suomalainen, photo edited by Kim Sinisalo.
Further information, interview requests and media ticket requests:
Kaisa Pelkonen, Communications Manager, kaisa.pelkonen@hkt.fi, 040 552 3788
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