Ferret Mercury Seeks Happiness by well-known authors is Helsinki City Theatre’s musical investment for the whole family
Based on the children’s book of the same name by Miika Nousiainen and Sanna-Mari Pirkola (Otava, 2020), the fast-paced musical Fretti Mercury is looking for happiness will premiere at Studio Pasila on 23 September. The play , dramatised by Nousiainen herself,is about the search for happiness and the importance of friendship, and is full of the author’s characteristic play on words. The musical’s exceptionally versatile music is composed by composer Marzi Nyman and lyricist Mariska.
“Composer Marzi Nyman and I had talked about how it would be fun to do something together, and when the plans with the Helsinki City Theatre began, the idea of a musical was born. Writing lyrics for songs is not my field, so I had to find another person for the job. My work projects have often been guided by chance, and that was also the case here. I was having tea in a café when Mariska walked in the door. I waited ten minutes before I went to introduce myself and asked if he would like to write lyrics for a musical. And he said I wanted to. I mean, it’s completely absurd,” says author Miika Nousiainen, whose first dramatization of the play, Fretti Mercury Seeks Happiness, is. Best friends Fretti Mercury (Tuomas Korkia-Aho) and Jänis Virtanen (Inkeri Hyvönen) think they have lost happiness and go in search of it. Along the way, which turns out to be an amazing adventure, they encounter many creatures who are happy in many different ways. Can help in finding happiness in the wisdom of Jon Bon Ovi, the rebellion of Owl Million, or perhaps the beautiful singing voice of Lamb Mattila? But is happiness always inside the seeker or is it something that can be displayed, for example, on a bookshelf? “Ferret Mercury Seeks Happiness is a wonderfully anarchic and multifaceted comedy that is not afraid to operate at the extremes of the emotional spectrum. There is extreme joy, play and honest fooling around, but there is also longing, sadness and even slightly scary moments. The performance is also visually insightful and guaranteed to be personal. It is a musical for the whole family, with a diverse world and fast-paced plot that will draw child viewers in, but there are also levels of the story and its humour that speak to adults in particular,” says Jukka Nylund, who is visiting the Helsinki City Theatre for the first time as a director. The musical stars Inkeri Hyvönen, known from the entertainment show Putous and the play Jumppatytöt, and Tuomas Korkia-Aho, who is visiting HKT for the first time. The other roles are played by Sari Haapamäki, Sofia Hilli, Juha Jokela, Kai Lähdesmäki, Tiina Peltonen and Inka Tiitinen. The work’s diverse range of musical genres covers everything from a beautiful ballad to a bombastic cannon. Theorchestra consists of Ville Myllykoski, Tuomo Sorri, Timo Jurvelin and Heikki Selamo. The play is written by Miika Nousiainen and Marzi Nyman is responsible for the composition. The witty and insightful lyrics to the songs are written by Mariska. The director is Jukka Nylund, the choreographer is Katrin Vaskelainen and the conductor is Ville Myllykoski, who was awarded the Musical Theatre Maker of the Year 2026. The set and costume design are by Aili Ojalo. Lighting design by Teppo Saarinen, sound design by Sami Lust and camouflage design by Ronja Nylund. The dramaturg has been Sanna Niemeläinen and the music dramaturg Eeva Kontu. We recommend the performance to everyone over the age of 5. Read an interview with author Miika Nousiainen on the theatre’s website: A joyful musical about the search for happiness and friendship FerretMercury is looking for happiness premiere on 23.9.2026 at the Helsinki City Theatre’s studio Pasila (Ratamestarinkatu 5). Basic ticket €41, children’s ticket €20 (0–16 years), student ticket €20.50 (Mon-Thu) and pensioner ticket €38 (Mon-Thu) #frettimercuryetsiionnea @hktfiHelsinki City Theatre ticket sales and customer service by phone (09) 3940 22 Mon-Fri 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Ticket office Ensi linja 2, Mon-Fri 12-17, Eläintarhantie 5 and other stages ticket sales always one hour before the event in question. stage performances and Lippu.fi, Mon-Sat 9 a.m. to 7 p.m., tel. 0600 900 900 (2 €/min + local network charge) www.hkt.fi In the photo of the press release, Tuomas Korkia-Aho and Inkeri Hyvönen, photo Otto-Ville Väätäinen. Further information, interview requests and media ticket requests: Communications Manager Kaisa Pelkonen, kaisa.pelkonen@hkt.fi, 040 552 3788 Helsinki City Theatre, Ensi linja 2, 00530 Helsinki