The new Finnish play Who Killed Bambi? wonders if evil can be forgotten
The new Finnish play Who Killed Bambi? will premiere on the small stage on 31 August. The play is based on Monika Fagerholm’s award-winning novel (Vem dödade bambi?, 2019), and it has been dramatised for the stage by Pipsa Lonka. 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? How does the tragedy that has happened bind the people of Villa Town to each other, and can you really jump over terrible things?
“The overall picture of the performance is built piece by piece as the protagonist agrees to admit his own agency and participation in the course of events. The play is painfully accurate about people who, due to shame or guilt, are unable to face reality as it is, and how horrible the consequences of such behaviour can be,” says director Riikka Oksanen .
Who killed bambi? is based on Monika Fagerholm’s award-winning novel published in 2019, Who Killed Bambi? Fagerholm’s novel is a hypnotic tapestry, brutal and lyrically beautiful at the same time. The novel has been dramatised for the stage by Pipsa Lonka, a top name in playwriting.
The cast includes Elias Keränen, Misa Lommi, Leena Rapola, Heidi Herala, Kari Mattila, Jaakko Hutchings, Aksinja Lommi, Pyry Nikkilä and Justus Pienmunne.
The set design was designed by Janne Vasama, the costumes by Tiina Kaukanen and the camouflage by Maija Sillanpää. The lighting design is by Kari Leppälä, the sound design by Eero Niemi and the choreography by Justus Pienmunne. The novel has been translated into Finnish by Laura Jänisniemi.
Read Riikka Oksanen’s interview on the theatre’s website: When the Past Won’t Leave You Alone.
Who killed bambi? premiere on 31.8.2023 on the small stage of the Helsinki City Theatre (Eläintarhantie 5).
Tickets: basic ticket €39, student ticket €19.50 (Mon-Thu) and pensioner ticket €36 (Mon-Thu). #kukatappoibambin @hktfi
Helsinki City Theatre’s ticket sales and customer service by phone (09) 394022 Mon-Fri 9 a.m. to 5.30 p.m. Ticket offices Ensi linja 2, Mon-Fri 11-17.30, Eläintarhantie 5, Sat (on performance days) 11-18 and one hour before the performance and Lippu.fi, Mon-Sat 9-21, Sun 10-18, tel. 0600 900 900 (2 €/min + local network charge) www.hkt.fi
In the photo: Justus Pienmunne, Heidi Herala, Pyry Nikkilä, Leena Rapola and Jaakko Hutchings. Photo by: Noora Geagea
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