The Radical Tragedy Antigone premieres in collaboration between the Helsinki City Theatre and the Theatre Academy
The radical tragedy of Antigone, which defies those in power, will premiere on 15 April on the small stage of the Helsinki City Theatre as a startling interpretation by young actors. Antigone, which premiered 2400 years ago by Sophocles , is once again topical: challenging power, civil disobedience and the status of women are being discussed all over Europe. Directed by Minna Harjuniemi and composed by Emma Raunio, the work continues the series of co-productions of HKT and the Theatre Academy of the University of the Arts Helsinki for the sixth year in a row.
The people are living in a new era in the war-torn city of Thebes under the strict orders of King Creon. The brave Antigone wants to bury her brother who died in battle, but Creon does not allow this, threatening Antigone with the death penalty. The young woman must make a choice: whether to submit to Creon’s rule or to follow the voice of her conscience – even if it means death.
The text of the co-production of HKT and TeaK is based on Kirsti Simonsuur’s Finnish translation from 2011. According to director Minna Harjuniemi, Antigone feels like a particularly suitable choice for young actors at a time when democracy and social structures are under constant pressure.
“It is a radical classic tragedy about a young radical woman, Antigone, who, in defiance of everything, chooses the voice of her heart and rises up against the orders of those in power. The proposal is a cautionary example of what happens when those in power are blind to their own short-sightedness and good government programme, and how things we take for granted, such as human rights or democratic states, can collapse in a matter of seconds. In the original play, Antigone is an individual, but in this interpretation, she expands into an entire generation,” Harjuniemi describes.
Antigone is a thoroughly composed work, and Emma Raunio, who composed 15 songs for the performance, is known in the fields of music and performing arts in a variety of ways as a singer, composer, producer, conductor and vocal coach.
“Antigone’s musical world combines electronic and classical music with stage music, and it also includes elements of what is known about ancient Greek music. Even though there is a lot of instrumental music in the work, the human voice is at the heart of the work and its most important musical element,” says Raunio, who is responsible for the sound design of the entire work.
The stage will feature 14 future theatre artists, third-year students of the Theatre Academy of the University of the Arts Helsinki: Olavi Angervo, Abdirahman Bile, Annika Junno, Eeli Jurvelin, Clara Kinnunen, Elisa Mattila, Adela Ogunbor, Venla Pulkkinen, Mawlawi Rahem, Alberto Rama, Pyry Rautiainen, Pyry Räty, Miriam Shange and Freddie Sukura.
The dramaturg is Ari-Pekka Lahti. The set design was designed by Katariina Kirjavainen, the masking was designed by Henri Karjalainen. The lighting design is by Kari Leppälä.
The performance is a continuation of the collaboration between the Theatre Academy and the Helsinki City Theatre that began in spring 2021, in which third-year acting students come to the Helsinki City Theatre in the spring and prepare the performance together with professionals. Antigone is the sixth production of the collaboration. The second season of the documentary series Teatterikorkea – selected for the stage, filmed in connection with last spring’s production of Beauty and the Monsters, is currently available on Yle Areena and television (Yle Teema Fem).
Antigone is one of the most performed Greek tragedies and has given rise to numerous operas and plays. The work has inspired philosophers and artists to reflect on the conflict between morality and law, as well as the relationship between the individual and power.
Read the director’s interview on the theatre’s website: A Stopping Tragedy of Defying the RulerAntigone premieres on 15 April 2026 and performances until 9 May 2026 on the small stage of the Helsinki City Theatre (Eläintarhantie 5).
Tickets: basic ticket €31, student ticket €15.50 (Mon-Thu) and pensioner ticket €28 (Mon-Thu)
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Photo of the release: Photographer Mitro Härkönen, discussion by Kim Sinisalo. In the foreground, Miriam Shange.
Further information, interview requests and media ticket requests:
Kaisa Pelkonen, Communications Manager, kaisa.pelkonen@hkt.fi, 040 552 3788
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