Juha Jokela’s new comedy Let’s Play Business offers both laughter and food for thought

The events of the play take place in a Finnish project consulting company called HX, whose authoritarian director Raimo Hemming has recently retired. The company’s employees are trying to adapt to the time after the charismatic but controversial figurehead under the leadership of a new leader, Artturi, who aims to bring a new kind of work culture to the company and unite the “hustle gang” with people-oriented leadership. However, it is difficult to attract the former leader’s supporters and opponents to the same team.

By some coincidence, this story of HX has been hired to be performed by a troupe of actors, whose artistic director does not really play according to a mutually agreed rulebook. The result is an uncontrollable chaos that runs alongside the company story, where roles change on the fly and backdrops fall, and which is above all the worst nightmare of the theatre’s financial manager.

“I like comedies whose subject matter is existentially serious, but at the core of which is the comedian’s desire to mix something indescribably stupid into the core of the story. Let’s Play Business deals with leadership and the communal imprint left by authoritarianism, but the story is accompanied by a rather fast-paced theatrical play: the smooth progression of the performance depends on the emotions of an individual person to the point of absurdity. The fact that the world progressed towards a similar state of affairs during the making process is horrible. Can you still laugh at it? Is it an avoidance of the matter or an outright obligation? We invite viewers to make their own assessment of it. Hopefully, our performance will offer a good dose of both laughter and food for thought,” says director Juha Jokela .

Let’s Play Business deals with leadership, the longing for a strong leader and the meaningfulness of working life in a stylish and sophisticated satirical way. There will be hilarious dialogue, sharp contemporary analysis and hilarious situation comedy.

The cast includes Wanda Dubiel, Sari Haapamäki, Sanna-June Hyde, Santeri Kinnunen, Aksinja Lommi, Kai Lähdesmäki, Martti Manninen, Unto Nuora, Raili Raitala, Ursula Salo and Jan-Christian Söderholm.

The play is written and directed by Juha Jokela. The choreographer has been Valtteri Raekallio. The set design is by Antti Mattila, the lighting design by Toni Haaranen and the video design by Timo Teräväinen. The costumes were designed by Sari Suominen and the camouflage by Aino Hyttinen. The sound design is by Maura Korhonen . The props have been designed by Mira Rokkanen and the dramaturg has been Henna Piirto.

Juha Jokela is one of Finland’s most successful playwrights, whose works have been performed both in Finland and abroad for more than 20 years. Let’s Play Business is Jokela’s first work for the Helsinki City Theatre.

Read the director’s interview on the theatre’s website: Unbridled chaos and stumbling blocks in working life

Let’s Play Business premiere on 30.8.2025 on the big stage of the Helsinki City Theatre (Eläintarhantie 5).

Tickets: basic ticket 56 €, student ticket 28 € (Mon-Thu) and pensioner ticket 53 € (Mon-Thu)
#letsplaybusiness @hktfi

Helsinki City Theatre’s ticket sales and customer service by phone (09) 394022 Mon-Fri 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Ticket offices First line 2, Mon-Fri 12-17, Eläintarhantie 5, Sat (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: Martti Manninen, Sanna-June Hyde, Wanda Dubiel, Santeri Kinnunen and Ursula Salo. Photo: Otto-Ville Väätäinen

Further information, media ticket reservations and interview requests:
Kaisa Pelkonen, Communications Manager, kaisa.pelkonen@hkt.fi, 040 552 3788
Helsinki City Theatre, Ensi linja 2, 00530 Helsinki