Hildur conquers Helsinki – Satu Rämö’s bestselling detective novel gets a new theatre version at the Helsinki City Theatre
Re-dramatised by Satu Rasila and directed by Tuomas Parkkinen, Hildur brings Icelandic mysticism and suspense to the stage in an unprecedented way. Based on the first part of Satu Rämö’s detective series, the film will premiere on the Arena stage of the Helsinki City Theatre on 28 January.
The play is based on the first and eponymous part of the Hildur detective series (WSOY 2022). In a murder mystery with a Nordic blue spirit, detective Hildur Rúnarsdóttir (Elena Leeve) investigates murders in her hometown together with her Finnish colleague Jakob (Paavo Kinnunen). Hildur, who is struggling with her traumas, and Jakob, who is fleeing his past, find themselves in the middle of a strange web of crimes that is shockingly linked to Hildur’s own childhood. “Hildur is a compelling and exciting murder mystery that deals with the dark sides of Nordic life in a great way. This can be expected to be a surprising and even frightening performance, where the rugged and beautiful stage design immediately creates an impressive atmosphere. In addition, we have a very good lead couple, Elena Leeve as Hildur and Paavo Kinnunen as Jakob, who, together with the rest of the ensemble, guarantee that the performance will be entertaining, touching and at times also funny,” director Tuomas Parkkinen describes.Author Satu Rämö is already looking forward to the premiere: “It’s really gratifying that Hildur is coming to the Helsinki City Theatre. This is a great honour and pleasure for the author. I’ve had the opportunity to read a dramatization made by my namesake Satu Rasila in the book Hildur, and it’s absolutely gorgeous! I’m really looking forward to the start of rehearsals and the premiere of the play in January.”In addition to the main roles, the stage will feature Sari Haapamäki, Sanna-June Hyde, Linda Hämäläinen, Unto Nuora, Jari Pehkonen, Ursula Salo and Mauno Terävä.
The play has been dramatized by Satu Rasila based on Satu Rämö’s original work and directed by Tuomas Parkkinen. The dramaturg is Ari-Pekka Lahti. The set design is by Antti Mattila. The costumes are designed by Elina Kolehmainen and the camouflage by Jutta Kainulainen. Petteri Heiskanen is responsible for lighting design and video design together with Toni Haaranen. The sound design is by Eradj Nazimov. Read the director’s interview on the theatre’s website: Murders in rugged landscapes Satu Rämö’s Hildur book series has become an exceptional success in Finnish literature. The rights to the book series have already been sold to a total of 26 countries and its total global sales are currently 1.2 million copies. In Finland, 850,000 books in the series have been sold. Hildur will also be the subject of the Coffee with a Writer event at the Helsinki Book Fair, when actors Heidi Herala, Aino Seppo and Eija Vilpas will meet author Satu Rämö on the Esplanadi stage on Saturday 25 October at 10.30-11.00. The beloved Coffee with a Writer event by the Helsinki City Theatre’s trio of actors will now be held outside the theatre building for the first time.Hildur premieres on 28.1.2026 on the Arena stage of the Helsinki City Theatre (Hämeentie 2). Tickets: basic ticket 52 €, student ticket 26 € (Mon-Thu) and pensioner ticket 49 € (Mon-Thu) #hildur @hktfi Helsinki City Theatre ticket sales and customer service by phone (09) 394022 Mon-Fri 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Ticket offices Ensi linja 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 press release: Elena Leeve. Photographer Mitro HärkönenFurther information, media ticket reservations and interview requests:Communications Manager Kaisa Pelkonen, kaisa.pelkonen@hkt.fi, 040 552 3788Helsinki City Theatre, Ensi linja 2, 00530 Helsinki