Record-breaking Kiviä taskussa to give its final performance at Helsinki City Theatre after 24 years in the programme

Martti Suosalo and Mika Nuojua starred in the Finnish-language premiere of Kiviä taskussa at Helsinki City Theatre’s Studio Pasila on 24 October 2002. Written by Irish playwright Marie Jones and directed by Pentti Kotkaniemi, the production has attracted an audience of nearly 384 000. Many have returned to see this theatrical phenomenon more than once. The final performance will be the 1 033rd.

“For us as performers, this has been an important work and a true celebration of acting. Of course, its success hasn’t come easily – we have challenged ourselves time and again, approaching every performance as if it were the first. We’ve had a wonderful time both at Studio Pasila and on the Arena Stage, where Helsinki City Theatre’s skilled and supportive staff have been with us throughout, and they deserve our heartfelt thanks. Every one of them has contributed to this success. It is with a sense of sadness that we now bid farewell to the theatre’s stages, and we are grateful to our audiences for their love of both this work and theatre as an art form,” says Mika Nuojua.

“This also marks the end of a long chapter in my theatre career, as I’ve worked extensively at Helsinki City Theatre. In the 1990s, Theatre Director Asko Sarkola invited me to appear as a guest performer and saw potential in me. That meant a great deal at a time when I had started a family and wanted to prove myself. I was given many roles and had the chance to work with excellent directors and plays, and this large theatre became like a second family to me. Kiviä taskussa has been a wonderful conclusion to that chapter, and I’m delighted that we’ve also been able to tour the production around Finland. The theatre and the designers have now given Mika and me the opportunity to continue performing the show independently. From January onwards, we will give eight performances at Aleksanterin teatteri, after which we plan to tour the rest of Finland. Taking culture to audiences is in my blood, which is why we want to continue for at least another two years,” says Martti Suosalo.

The play centres on a film being shot in rural Ireland, where local men Charlie Conlon (Suosalo) and Jake Quinn (Nuojua) work as extras. The duo switch effortlessly from one character to another, playing not only the protagonists but all of the play’s approximately fifteen roles.

Over the years, this audience favourite has visited theatres in more than 30 locations across Finland. The production premiered at Helsinki City Theatre’s Studio Pasila in 2002 before moving to the larger Arena Stage on Hämeentie in September 2022, where its final performance will take place on 10 November 2026.

Kiviä taskussa performances until 10.11.2026 on Helsinki City Theatre’s Arena Stage (Hämeentie 2)

Standard ticket 52 €, student ticket 26 € (Mon–Thu) and pensioner ticket 49 € (Mon–Thu)
#kiviätaskussa @hktfi

Helsinki City Theatre’s telephone ticket sales and customer service: (09) 3940 22, Mon–Fri 10–17. Box offices: Ensi linja 2, Mon–Fri 12–17; Eläintarhantie 5, Sat (on performance days) 11–18.30 and one hour before each performance; and lippu.fi, Mon–Sat 9–19, Sun 12–16, tel. 0600 900 900 (2 €/min + local/mobile network charge) www.hkt.fi

Press release image: Mika Nuojua and Martti Suosalo. Photo: Robert Seger

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