| The first Finnish-language professional theatre to be established in Finland was founded in 1872 and given the name The Finnish Theatre. The birth of The Finnish Theatre was closely linked to the emergence of a national consciousness. All forms of culture were fully employed in the struggle against Russian domination. Moreover, the effort to resist the dominant Swedish-speaking culture created its own agenda for the Finnish language.
The theatre moved to its current premises in 1902, when it also acquired the name of Finnish National Theatre. It was never to become a state-owned theatre however. Although it enjoys public funding, the theatre is still owned by a private foundation and nominates its own Director. In 1954, the theatre expanded to include a second stage which was chiefly used for performing modern drama. A third stage was built in 1976, and a fourth, the smallest, in 1987.
The fundamental artistic policy of the theatre has remained largely unchanged throughout its 135-year existence. World classics, both ancient and modern. have always been seen as an essential part of the programme. The theatre also takes pride in being a gateway to the avant-garde of international drama. Another major, important responsibility of the theatre is to nurture and promote Finnish-language drama.
The National Theatre also plays a key role in the education of new generations of theatre-goers, ensuring that plays for children and young people are always included in the repertoire. Over the past ten years, the Finnish National Theatre has been particularly committed to offering employment opportunities to newly qualified artists in the field of theatre. The in-house company has become younger and the theatre is increasingly popular with younger audiences.
International exchange has also traditionally been one of the theatre's major activities. In its earliest days the theatre existed as a touring company, regularly visiting St Petersburg. Since then, the Finnish National Theatre has travelled to many European countries and the United States, and hosted performances by a wide range of European theatres and guest directors. A new international phase began in 1996, when the Finnish National Theatre was accepted into the Union of European Theatres (Union de Théâtres de l'Europe). This membership has enabled educational exchange and performance tours, as well as the theatre's presence at many international festivals.
The Finnish National Theatre has played a decisive role in Finnish cultural life for over 130 years, and it continues to do so today with a repertoire which explores new forms of theatre, aims for artistically challenging productions, and responds to those barely perceptible, burgeoning new currents in society.
Maria-Liisa Nevala
Director of the Finnish National Theatre
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Current Season
On the Main Stage, internationally renowned Finnish director Kristian Smeds’ controversial adaptation of the well-loved classic Finnish war-novel The Unknown Soldier, by Väinö Linna, continues to play to full houses. The production was included in this year’s prestigious Baltic House Festival in St Petersburg, where it was awarded the Festival Prize in October 2008.
The 2008-2009 season is bursting with new Finnish drama. Laura Ruohonen’s latest work is a dark farce entitled War Tourists which opens on the Small Stage in November, created by Swedish director Åsa Kalmer. Set during the Crimean War, the play is based on the historical reality of nineteenth century Swedish package-holidays to the Baltic Sea, where tourists could watch the British ships bombarding Finnish coastal cities, and for an extra charge, tourists could even feed the prisoners. Also in November, Maria Kilpi’s minimalist two-hander Sore Spot opens in the Omapohja Studio, directed by Minna Nurmelin. A touching glimpse of the relationship between two generations, Kilpi’s play won the Best New Drama Award at the Berliner theatertreffen Stückmarkt in 2007. December will see the première of Ari-Pekka Lahti’s new play Big Bad World on the Willensauna Stage. Concerning seven young men and their struggle to find their place in an increasingly directionless world, the play is directed by Tuomo Aitta. Next spring, The Main Stage is the venue for a new drama by Kari Hotakainen and Juha Lehtola, opening in February. Who’s Who is an absurd satire on envy, narcissism and the yearning for wisdom, in which Dostoevsky and even Vladimir Putin make an appearance. The play is directed by Juha Lehtola. Also in February, Otso Kautto’s new play It’s a Girl!, a tender, honest look at the relationship between fathers and daughters, opens in the Omapohja Studio, directed by the author.
The programme also includes plenty of international plays. French language drama is profiled in three contemporary plays from France and Quebec, which all open in the autumn: Gérald Sibleyras’ Le Vent des peupliers, directed by Arto af Hällström, on the Small Stage, Yasmina Réza’s Le Dieu du carnage, directed by Cilla Back on the Willensauna Stage, and in the Omapohja Studio Janne Reinikainen creates Incendies, written by award-winning author Wajdi Mouawad, who is featured as guest artist at the Avignon festival this year. For the first première of the autumn season on the Main Stage, Shakespeare returns to the repertoire with Michael Baran’s new translation and interpretation of Othello. In the spring, British author Simon Stephens’ On the Shore of the Wide World premières on the Small Stage, directed by Joakim Groth. On the Willensauna Stage Liisa Mustonen directs a modern American classic, Tennessee Williams’ The Glass Menagerie. In addition, actor Juhani Laitala will celebrate thirty-five years in the profession with a monologue performance of Hjalmar Söderberg’s Swedish classic Doktor Glas, in an adaptation by Allan Edwall and directed by Jukka Rantanen. | |
Takaisin
