Shed-musiikkiteatteri’s 10th anniversary musical Liisa pelimaassa premieres at Studio Pasila

Shed musical theatre has been active in Finland for 10 years. Shed’s first production, Peter Pan, premiered at Aleksanterin teatteri in 2016. Shed productions have been staged at Helsinki City Theatre’s Studio Pasila since 2017. Shed was inspired by London’s Chickenshed theatre, which has been bringing children and young people from different backgrounds together through the arts for more than 50 years.  

“It has been a joy to watch Shed musical theatre grow stronger year after year. We are immensely proud of this inclusive programme and its participants. We can’t wait to see what the next ten years will bring!” says Chickenshed’s Executive Creative Producer Dave Carey.

“I’m always impressed by how professional, ambitious and unique Shed’s productions are. The months of hard work put in by the performers, their instructors and the entire team behind the scenes truly shine through in the finished production. I can’t wait to see Liisa pelimaassa!” says Shed’s patron Suzanne Innes-Stubb.   

Shed Säätiö’s musical theatre programme, organised in partnership with Helsinki City Theatre, gives children and young people aged 10–19 from a wide range of backgrounds the opportunity to take part in musical theatre alongside Helsinki City Theatre professionals. The Shed musical theatre group learns the skills involved in making theatre, singing, dancing and acting. The programme is made possible by Shed Säätiö, established by Elisa in 2017 to support diverse work with children and young people that also embraces children with additional needs. 

Liisa pelimaassa is a completely new take on Lewis Carroll’s beloved classic 

Sisters Liisa and Leena are caught making secret purchases with their mother’s credit card, and the two fall out. Liisa’s friend Jossu wants to comfort her and persuades her to try the Wonderland video game. In its extraordinary virtual world, Liisa and Jossu meet other players and a variety of game characters. Liisa plays on, amassing in-game currency without realising that a faulty update has made the game dangerous – Herttakuningatar now rules the virtual world! And soon Liisa is accused of breaking the rules of the game… 

“Liisa pelimaassa is my tribute to gaming and gaming culture. After all, everyone plays something! And although young people today often play on various gaming devices, games are far from a pointless pastime. Video games can feature truly incredible storytelling. Like books and films, they evoke powerful emotions and create a sense of community among players, whether through online games and the friendships formed within them or simply by sharing their enthusiasm as fans. I very much hope that this creative world of young people, shaped by games, comes alive in Shed’s new musical,” says writer and director Jyri Numminen.  

The production brings nearly 80 young Shed performers to the stage. They are joined by Helsinki City Theatre’s professional actors Kai Lähdesmäki as Kani_Valkonen and Tiina Peltonen as Herttakuningatar. 

The musical is written and directed by Jyri Numminen, with music composed by Tuomas Kesälä, who also serves as the production’s conductor. The choreography is by Jyri Numminen and Moona Karhu. Costume design is by Laura Dammert, make-up design by Henri Karjalainen and set design by William Iles. Lighting design is by Teppo Saarinen, sound design by Sami Lust and video design by Toni Haaranen. The dramaturg is Henna Piirto. Shed musical theatre’s lead teacher is Hanna Nuorala, its vocal coach is Pauliina Paasila and its dance teacher is Moona Karhu. The producer for Shed Säätiö is Saija-Reetta Kotirinta.  

Read an interview with the director, Shed Säätiö’s producer and the lead teacher on the theatre’s website: A fast-paced gaming adventure bursting with the energy of Shed’s young performers

Liisa pelimaassa premieres on 1. and 2.12.2026 at Helsinki City Theatre’s Studio Pasila (Ratamestarinkatu 5). 

The performance on Saturday 12.12. at 12.00 will feature interpretation into Finnish Sign Language. 

Tickets: standard ticket 39 €, child ticket 19 €, student ticket 19,50 € (Mon–Thu) and senior ticket 36 € (Mon–Thu) #liisapelimaassa @hktfi @shedmusiikkiteatteri 

Helsinki City Theatre ticket sales and customer service by phone: (09) 3940 22, Mon–Fri 10.00–17.00 and Saturdays with performances 11.00–18.30. Ticket shop: Ensi linja 2, Mon–Fri 12.00–17.00; Eläintarhantie 5, always from one hour before performances on the Main Stage and/or Small Stage, and on Saturdays with performances 11.00–18.30. Ticket offices at the other venues open one hour before each performance. Tickets are also available from lippu.fi, Mon–Sat 9.00–19.00, tel. 0600 900 900 (2 €/min + local network charge) www.hkt.fi  

Press release photo: Kim Sinisalo

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

Further information about Shed Säätiö:
Board member Riikka Kannas, riikka.kannas@foodcampfinland.fi, 040 354 6331