Helsinki City Theatre’s autumn 2023 programme has been published / Helsingfors Stadsteater har släppt höstrepertoaren för 2023
In autumn 2023, the Helsinki City Theatre’s programme includes the musicals The Little Mermaid and Dear Evan Hansen, the chilling detective classic Mousetrap, the relationship farce Figaros bröllop and three Finnish novelties: Okko Leon’s Ape army and stage adaptations of Monika Fagerholm’s Who Defeated Bambi?– and Kaj Korkea-aho’s Röda rummet novels. In August, the stage of the contemporary performance will premiere the works Nano Steps and Dilemma, and in September, the audience’s favourites The Colonel and the dance piece Gravity will return to the repertoire.
The autumn season on the big stage will open on 17 August with the great favourite The Little Mermaid, which will swim back into the repertoire. The enchanting Disney musical that charmed audiences and critics alike is directed by Samuel Harjanne. The role of Princess Ariel is played by the magnificent Yasmine Yamajako and the role of Prince Erik is played by Martti Manninen.
The autumn season on the big stage continues on 28 September with the musical Rakas Evan Hansen, which will premiere in Finland. The musical, directed by Kari Arffman, tells the story of the difficulty of growing up and the power of self-discovery. The role of Evan alternates between talented musical talents Petja Pulkkinen and Julius Suominen, and Evan’s mother is played by musical star Nina Tapio.
The Finnish novelty Who Killed Bambi? will premiere on a small stage on 31 August. The play is based on the award-winning novel by Monika Fagerholm. The novel is dramatized by Pipsa Lonka and the play is directed by Riikka Oksanen.
The villa town is an idyllic residential area where everyone knows each other. The harmony of a small town is shattered when four boys from a well-off family commit a shocking act of violence at a house party. The panicked community wants to forget the tragedy as quickly as possible, but Gusten is not left alone by the memories. How can life go on if you have been guilty of something so terrible?
The cast includes Heidi Herala, Jaakko Hutchings, Elias Keränen, Aksinja Lommi, Misa Lommi, Kari Mattila, Pyry Nikkilä, Justus Pienmunne and Leena Rapola.
The autumn season continues with a chilling suspense play Mousetrap on the Arena stage on 7 September. Premiered in London in 1952, Agatha Christie’sThe Mousetrap by detective queen Agatha Christie is the world’s longest-running play.
Mollie and Giles are a young couple who are opening a Monkswell boarding house in an old heritage mansion in the middle of the countryside. When everything is ready for the customers, a snowstorm hits and the plans are disrupted. At the same time, the police are broadcasting on the radio about a murder in London, the perpetrator of which is being sought. A group of demanding guests make it through the storm to the warmth of the manor, and just before the snow surrounds the mansion, the police arrive to warn of the murderer, who has left a message: the next victim can be found at the Monkswell boarding house.
The play is directed by Miika Muranen and the roles are played by Helena Haaranen, Joel Hirvonen, Sanna-June Hyde, Risto Kaskilahti, Elina Keinonen, Santeri Kinnunen, Severi Saarinen and Sauli Suonpää.
On 27 September, Studio Pasila will premiere the satire Ape army, directed by Tuomas Rinta-Panttila, which carnivalizes the self-ironically light-hearted way millennial investors operate in the world. The play deals with the phenomenon known as meme investing, which has shaken the world’s stock markets, and comments on it in a mischievous way.
Two work-averse millennials invest their unemployment benefits in meme stocks and cryptocurrencies on a whim. After two days of investing in stocks, they realize that they are investment gurus and almost accidentally mess up the entire global economy.
The cast includes Sari Haapamäki, Vuokko Hovatta, Pekka Huotari, Jouko Klemettilä, Vappu Nalbantoglu, Jari Pehkonen, Olli Riipinen, Anna-Sofia Tuominen, Leenamari Unho, Juho Uusitalo and Mikko Virtanen.
On 14 September, Röda rummet, based on Kaj Korkea-aho’s novel, will premiere on the Swedish-language stage of Lilla Teatern. The novel has been dramatised by Tuomas Timonen and the play is directed by Milja Sarkola.
Röda rummet tells the story of a young writer who is looking for an apartment with a newspaper advertisement and promises to write a book in return. When a gentleman living alone has the home of his dreams to offer, the young man realizes that he has found himself involved in a strange game. He begins to write down a story that takes him to a labyrinth of desire and subjugation in nocturnal Helsinki.
The cast includes Riko Eklundh, Mikko Kauppila, Minni Gråhn, Pia Runnakko, Alexander Wendelin and Joachim Wigelius. The performance will be subtitled in Finnish and Swedish.
Lillan’s autumn season continues with Figaros bröllop, which premieres on 19 October. Pierre-Augustin Caron de Beaumarchais‘ play was a great success when it was published in 1784, as was the opera composed by Mozart from the play (1786). Director Jakob Höglund now brings this classic to life on the stage of Lilla Teatern.
The play follows three couples who have different relationships with each other. It is about power, gender, age, passion and, above all, love. The Count’s nocturnal castle garden becomes the scene of unexpected events, where desire lurks behind every door, and strange confusions cause things to escalate. Who gets whom in the end?
The cast includes Minni Gråhn, Joonas Heikkinen, Pia Runnakko, Ursula Salo, Alexander Wendelin and Joachim Wigelius. The performance will be subtitled in Finnish and Swedish.
In the autumn, two favourite performances will return to the City Theatre’s repertoire. The audience and critically acclaimed Colonel, starring Heidi Herala, will have their re-premiere on the small stage on 14 September, and Helsinki Dance Company’s and Kinetic Orchestra’s dance performance Gravity on 20 September.
In the autumn season, the stand-up club Club Act!one will continue in Studio Pasila, and the ever-popular Stones in Your Pocket will continue on the Arena stage. The Senior Soup concerts and the Coffee with a Writer events, which are loved by the public, will also continue in the autumn.
The premieres of the Contemporary Performance stage, which started in 2022, will continue in August at Studio Pasila. The puppet theatre performance Nano Steps by the Trial & Theatre group will premiere on 8 August and Dilemma directed by Masi Tiita on 22 August.
Read the new Teatteriin magazine here.
Next premieres at the Helsinki City Theatre
20.4.2023 Anonymous, dir. Ene-Liis Semper
23.5.2023 Stage of a contemporary performance: What is seen and what’s (left) behind the scene?, dir. Fjolla Hoxha
8.8.2023 Stage for contemporary performance: Trial & Theatre, Nano Steps, dir. Aati Hanikka
17.8.2023 The Little Mermaid, dir. Samuel Harjanne
22.8.2023 Stage of a contemporary performance: Dilemma, dir. Masi Tiitta
31.8.2023 Who killed bambi?, dir. Riikka Oksanen
7.9.2023 Mousetrap, dir. Miika Muranen
14.9.2023 The Red Room, dir. Milja Sarkola
14.9.2023 Colonel, dir. Susanna Airaksinen (re-premiere)
20.9.2023 Gravity, chorus. Jarkko Mandelin (re-premiere)
27.9.2023 Ape Army, dir. Tuomas Rinta-Panttila
28.9.2023 Dear Evan Hansen, dir. Kari Arffman
19.10.2023 The Marriage of Figaro, dir. Jakob Höglund
Guest performances
25.3.2023 New Beginning, Ali Jahangiri, Arena Stage
27.3.2023 Bladis pojkan, Lilla Teatern, dir. Ann-Luise Bertell
28.11., 3.12. and 4.12.2023 Ismo Leikola, Arena Stage
21. and 22.11.2023 Mentalist Pete Poskiparta, Arena Stage
From 2.10.2023 More Saikku, please! dir. Otto Kanerva
The stage of a contemporary performance
25.5.2023 Movement and Emptiness, dir. Ami Karvonen, Kid Koko and Anna Mustonen
19.5.2023 TIGER – It some@bility stage work, i.e. consertti and biennial for the stage and other spaces of a contemporary performance, dir. Milla Jarko
Helsinki City Theatre ticket sales and customer service by phone (09) 3940 22 Mon–Fri 9 am–5 pm. Ticket offices First Line 2, Mon–Fri 12 noon–5 pm, Eläintarhantie 5, Sat (on performance days) 11 am–6 pm and always one hour before the performance and Lippu.fi, Mon–Sat 9 am–9 pm, Sun 10 am–6 pm, tel. 0600 900 900 (2 €/min + local network charge) www.hkt.fiFurther information, media ticket reservations and interview requests:
Kaisa Pelkonen, Communications Manager, kaisa.pelkonen@hkt.fi, 040 552 3788
Lilla Teatern, PR & Marketing, Ida Virkkunen, ida.virkkunen@hkt.fi, 050 357 4250
Helsinki City Theatre, Ensi linja, 00530 Helsinki
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Press release 21.3.2023Helsinki City Theatre has released its autumn repertoire for 2023 In autumn 2023, Helsinki City Theatre’s repertoire includes the musicals Pieni merenneito and Rakas Evan Hansen, the detective classic Mousetrap, the farce The Marriage of Figaroand three Finnish novelties: Ape army by Okko Leo and dramatisations of romanerna Who defeated bambi? by Monika Fagerholm and The Red Room by Kaj Korkea-aho. The stage of Nykyesitysn premieres Nano Steps and Dilemma, and in September, audience favourites Everstinna and the dance performance Gravity will return to the repertoire.
The autumn season on the Main Stage kicks off on August 17 with the comeback of the beloved Pieni merenneito. The enchanting Disney musical, which has charmed audiences and critics alike, has been directed by Samuel Harjanne. Yasmine Yamajako plays Princess Ariel and Martti Manninen plays Prince Erik.
The autumn on the main stage continues on September 28 with the Finnish premiere of the musical Rakas Evan Hansen. The musical is about the difficulties of growing up and about the power of finding yourself. The director is Kari Arffman and the role of Evan alternates between the new musical talents Petja Pulkkinen and Julius Suominen. Musical star Nina Tapio plays the role of Evans’ mother.
The Finnish novelty Kuka tappoi bambin? will premiere on the Small Stage on 31 August. The play is based on Monika Fagerholm’s award-winning novel. The dramatization is made by Pipsa Lonka and the performance is directed by Riikka Oksanen.
The villa town is an idyllic residential area where everyone knows everyone. The harmony in the small community is shattered when four boys from wealthy families commit a terrible act of violence at a house party. The residents want to forget the tragedy as soon as possible, but the memories do not leave Gusten alone. How do you live your life when you’ve done something so horrible?
Starring Heidi Herala, Jaakko Hutchings, Elias Keränen, Aksinja Lommi, Misa Lommi, Kari Mattila, Pyry Nikkilä, Justus Pienmunne and Leena Rapola.
The autumn season continues with the hair-raising Hiirenloukku on the Arena stage on 7 September. Detective queen Agatha Christie’sMousetrap premiered in London in 1952 and is the world’s longest-running continuously performed play.
Mollie and Giles are a young couple who are going to open the Monkswell boarding house in an old, inherited mansion in the countryside. When everything is ready for the guests, a snowstorm hits. At the same time, the police announce a murder in London on the radio and are looking for the perpetrator. A group of demanding customers manage to get through the storm to the warmth of the mansion, and just before the snow blocks the roads, the police arrive to warn that the killer has left a message: the next victim will be found at the Monkswell guest house.
The performance is directed by Miika Muranen and stars Helena Haaranen, Joel Hirvonen, Sanna-June Hyde, Risto Kaskilahti, Elina Keinonen, Santeri Kinnunen, Severi Saarinen and Sauli Suonpää.
On 27 September, Ape Army, directed by Tuomas Rinta-Panttila, premieres at Studio Pasila. The play satirically carnivalizes the millennials’ self-ironically light-hearted existence. It is a mischievous commentary on the phenomenon of meme investing that has shaken the entire global stock market.
Two millennials who hate working invest their unemployment benefits in meme stocks and cryptocurrencies on impulse. Two days later, they notice that they have become the investment guru and half-accidentally screw up the entire world economy.
Starring Sari Haapamäki, Vuokko Hovatta, Pekka Huotari, Jouko Klemettilä, Vappu Nalbantoglu, Jari Pehkonen, Olli Riipinen, Anna-Sofia Tuominen, Leenamari Unho, Juho Uusitalo and Mikko Virtanen.
At Lilla Teatern, Kaj Korkea-aho’s The Red Room will premiere on 14 September. The novel has been dramatised by Tuomas Timonen and it is directed by Milja Sarkola.The Red Room is about a young writer who publishes a newspaper ad in which he promises to write a book in exchange for an affordable home. A lonely gentleman offers the dream apartment and soon the young man notices that he has been drawn into a strange game. He begins to write a story that takes him to a labyrinth of desire and power in a nocturnal Helsinki.
The cast includes Riko Eklundh, Mikko Kauppila, Minni Gråhn, Pia Runnakko, Alexander Wendelin and Joachim Wigelius. The performance is subtitled in Finnish and Swedish.
Lillan’s autumn season continues on October 19 with the premiere of the farce The Marriage of Figaro. Pierre-Augustin Caron de Beaumarchai’s play was a great success when it was published in 1784, as was Mozart’s opera from 1786. Director Jakob Höglund now brings the play version of this classic to life.
In the play, we follow three couples who have different relationships with each other. It’s about power, gender, desire and, above all, love. The Count’s nocturnal garden becomes the scene of unexpected events, and desire lurks behind every door, and under strange confusions, things are brought to a head. Who gets who when the day is over?
On stage: Minni Gråhn, Joonas Heikkinen, Pia Runnakko, Ursula Salo, Alexander Wendelin and Joachim Wigelius. The performance is subtitled in Finnish and Swedish.
In the autumn, two favourites will return to the City Theatre’s repertoire. On 14 September, there will be a revival of the audience and critically acclaimed Everstinna, starring HeidiHerala. On 20 September, there will be a revival premiere of Gravity by Helsinki Dance Company and Kinetic Orchestra.
In the autumn, the stand-up club Club Act!one will continue in Studio Pasila and Kivia taskussa on the Arena stage. The Senior Soup concerts and the Kahvilla kirjailijan kanssa events will also continue in the autumn.
Nykyesitysn näyttämö, which started its operations in 2022, will have two world premieres in August at Studio Pasila. The Trial & Theatre group’s puppet theatre performance Nano Steps premieres on 8 August and Masi Tiitta’s Dilemma on 22 August.
Read the latest issue of the Teatteriin magazine here.
Upcoming premieres at Helsinki City Theatre
20.4.2023 Anonymous, reg. Ene-Liis Semper
23.5.2023 Stage of the current performance: What is seen and what’s (left) behind the scene?, reg. Fjolla Hoxha
8.8.2023 Stage for contemporary performance: Trial & Theatre, Nano Steps, reg. Aati Hanikka
17.8.2023 The Little Mermaid, reg. Samuel Harjanne
22.8.2023 Stage of the contemporary performance: Dilemma, reg. Masi Tiitta
31.8.2023 Who killed bambi?, reg. Riikka Oksanen
7.9.2023 Mousetrap, reg. Miika Muranen
14.9.2023 The Red Room, reg. Milja Sarkola
14.9.2023 Colonel, reg. Susanna Airaksinen (re-premiere)
20.9.2023 Gravity, chorus. Jarkko Mandelin (re-premiere)
27.9.2023 Ape army, reg. Tuomas Rinta-Panttila
28.9.2023 Dear Evan Hansen, reg. Kari Arffman
19.10.2023 The Marriage of Figaro, reg. Jakob Höglund
Guest appearances
25.3.2023 New Beginning, Ali Jahangiri, Arena-scenen
27.3.2023Bladis pojkan , Lilla Teatern, reg. Ann-Luise Bertell
28.11., 3.12. and 4.12.2023 Ismo Leikola, Arena-scenen
21 and 22.11.2023 mentalist Pete Poskiparta, Arena stage
from 2.10.2023 More, please! reg. Otto Kanerva
The stage of a contemporary performance
25.5.2023 Movement and Emptiness, reg. Ami Karvonen, Kid Koko and Anna Mustonen
19.5.2023 TIGER – It some@bility stage work, i.e. consertti and biennale for the stage and other spaces of contemporary performance, reg. Milla Jarko
Helsinki City Theatre’s ticket office is open by phone (09) 394022 Mon-Fri at noon. 9-17. Ticket office on the First Line 2, Mon-Fri at noon. 12-17, Djurgårdsvägen 5, Sat (during performance days) at noon. 11-18 and one hour before the start of the performance. Lippu.fi Mon-Sat at. 9-21, Sun 10-18, tel. 0600 900 900 (2 €/min + local network charge/mobile call charge). www.hkt.fiFurther information, press tickets and interview requests:
Kaisa Pelkonen, Head of Communications, kaisa.pelkonen@hkt.fi, 040 552 3788
Lilla Teatern, Marketer Ida Virkkunen, ida.virkkunen@hkt.fi, 050 357 4250
Helsinki City Theatre, First Line, 00530 Helsinki