I’m attending IETM plenary meeting in Porto, Portugal, with managing director Annu Kemppainen. It is our first time in these circles and also in Porto. Gorgeous city! And we’ve already met fascinating artists from Australia! IETM is an international network for contemporary performing arts.
2081 – ISOVELI VALVOO
In 2004 I had the honour to adapt George Orwell‘s classic novel 1984 and direct it for stage in Kiasma Theatre at the Museum of Contemporary Art Kiasma. It was called For the Love of Big Brother – and still is. Now, when my dear colleague Jonna Wikström is directing it for youth theatre group RyhmisNuoret, I found out that according to the agent of Orwell heirs I actually own the copyright to my adaptation. So it was a pleasure to permit Jonna to re-do the script. I’m so looking forward to see what they’ve done with it in 2081 – ISOVELI VALVOO. Premiere May 16, other performances 14th to 30th of May in Ryhmäteatteri.
Here you can listen Kulturklipp’s review of the performance 17.5.2018 from YLE Radio Vega in Swedish.
Jesse Gyllenbögel (as Winston), Milana Novokmet (as O’Brien) and Julia Von Lerber (as Julia) in 2081 – Isoveli valvoo in Ryhmäteatteri, 2018. Photo by Mitro Härkönen
Lotta Lindroos (as Julia) and Seppo Halttunen (as Winston) in For the Love of Big Brother in Kiasma Theatre, 2004. Photo: Paula Koivunen
NUORI NÄYTTÄMÖ FESTIVALS
Nuori Näyttämö is a youth theatre concept where youth theatre groups, professional play wrights and theatre houses across the country work together. It’s based on Brittish National Theatre’s Connections.
I’ve chaired Nuori Näyttämö Advisory Panel since 2011. We had the pilot round of new plays, performances and festivals in spring 2015 and right now we’re having the second round going on. This time the groups have been working on four plays written by either Gunilla Hemming, Rasmus Lindberg, Pipsa Lonka or Veikko Nuutinen, and you can see these plays performed at local festivals in city theatres in Helsinki, Kemi, Kotka, Mikkeli, Tampere, Varkaus and Finnish National Theatre from April 9 to May 9. The national finale will take place in Tampere in TTT-Theatre and Tampere Student Theatre on 4th & 5th of August as a launch for Tampere Theatre Festival. Welcome! Check the details here and the previous post from 2015 here.
Nuori Näyttämö is produced by Association for Amateur and Professional Theatres in Finland (TNL).
Some media attention: I’m being shortly interviewed with Eija Vilpas and Lotta Enroth in the middle of YLE TV1 program Puoli Seitsemän 4.5.2018, playwrights Pipsa Lonka and Veikko Nuutinen interviewed in Helsingin Sanomat 5.5.2018.
Kujerruksia-blogin Linnea on ahkeroinut viime viikonloppuna; käynyt katsomassa molemmat esitykset, jotka olen tänä talvena ensi-iltaan saattanut, ja kirjoittanut niistä myös. Henkseleitä saa näköjään paukutella 
MEDEIA: Klovnin raivonhallintaopas Kanneltalossa 10.3.2018.
Tulppaanikupla EMMA:ssa 11.3.2018.
Päivi Rissanen esiintyy Tulppaanikuplassa. Photo by Tomi Suovankoski
Onko taiteellisesti kunnianhimoiselle teatterille tilaa Suomen ammattiteattereissa vuonna 2018?
Tästä olen keskustelemassa Suomen Teatteriohjaajat ja Dramaturgit ry:n ja Teatterikorkeakoulun alumnit ry:n järjestämässä seminaarissa ohjaajien Hanna Kirjavainen, Piia Peltola ja Eino Saari kanssa Kansallisteatterin Lavaklubilla ma 19.3. klo 18-21. Pääpuhujana ohjaajalegenda Ralf Långbacka, keskustelun moderaattorina Teatterikorkeakoulun dekaani Maarit Ruikka. Vapaa pääsy. Lisäinfoa täältä. Tervetuloa!
pic: Jani Pulkka
Where and how is artistically ambitious theatre possible in Finland and to what degree?
With three other director collegues I’m discussing the state of artistically ambitous theatre in Finland today in a seminar taking place in Finnish National Theatre’s Lavaklubi on Monday March 19 at 6pm-9pm. The key note speaker is the director legend Ralf Långbacka and the discussion is moderated by the Dean of Theatre Academy, Maarit Ruikka. The discussion is in Finnish.
Riihimäen Teatteri and Reality Research Center were granted by Finnish Cultural Foundation yesterday. I was representing both organisations at the foundation’s annual party as I’m now the Artistic Director in both of organisations.
Good program! Some live music, presentation of a video installation, speeches and a dinner in good company. Nice. Thank you, SKR!
Reality Research Team at the party: Managing Director Annu Kemppainen, Chairwoman of admin board Maria Oiva and I.
MEDEA: Clownish Rage Management in Kanneltalo, Helsinki, 7.2.-10.3.2018
photo by Mika Haaranen
Kuuntele Tainaa Yle Puheen radiohaastattelussa 7.2.2018 ja lue Kulttuurikuuri-blogin sekä Helsingin Sanomien arviot esityksestä!
Since November I’ve been dropping by in Taina Mäki-Iso’s rehearsals as a co-director. Mäki-Iso is working on a new clown solo dealing with classic Greek myth of Medea, a woman who took revenge against her unfaithful husband by killing her children.
In the solo Mäki-Iso’s clown character Martta gets a chance to play this great role but she is terrified by the atrocities. Martta finds her own tenderheartedness infuriating and in general she has a problem with her short temper. Through the solo Martta tries to practice rage management in various ways and asks advice also from the audience. Perhaps Medea herself should have tried these methods before executing her crime…
Mäki-Iso has become the Finnish grand old lady of clowning. She has taught most of the clowns in the country at some point of their careers and she is still in the business of goofing around. While working in Lappeenranta City Theatre eight years ago I invited Mäki-Iso to give a course to actors. Next year, 2011, we co-directed a clownery piece for children on big stage. The deal was that she directed the clowning and I directed the rest but it was such a good collaboration that we almost forgot that we had a deal. Ever since we’ve been looking for an opportunity to repeat the cooperation. So, here we are. The premiere is next Wednesday. Both Finnish and English speaking MEDEA: Clownish Rage Management is suitable for ten year olds, or older. Welcome!
Pasi Lappalainen as 17th century tulip bulb broker and Päivi Rissanen as Scrooge. photo: Tomi Suovankoski
TOTEM-teatterin Tulppaanikupla – pörssiromahdus ja rahan synty -esitys kiertää kouluja tämän vuoden aikana. Sunnuntaina 11.3. klo 12:30 – 13:30 siitä järjestetään kaikille avoin esitys EMMA:ssa eli Espoon Modernin Taiteen Museossa. Varaa paikkasi tuottajalta sähköpostitse. Tapahtuma myös Facebookissa.
Lue Helsingin Sanomien arvio esityksestä.
Tulppaanikupla – pörssiromahdus ja rahan synty will be performed for anyone interested at EMMA – Espoo Museum of Modern Art on Sunday March 11 at 12:30. Check the event from Facebook and book your seat from the producer via email.
Kekäläinen & Company has published a book Body, Meat & Spirit – perspectives to the work of Sanna Kekäläinen! It is a collection of photographs and six essays written by dance researcher Riikka Laakso, philosopher and writer Olli Ahlroos, fine artist, author and director Teemu Mäki, reseacher Maria Svanström, Doctor Anu Laukkanen… and me.
You can order this bilingual (Finnish & English) work of art from Books on Demand either as a hard cover or as an ebook. Plunge deep into the world of Kekäläinen in good company!
Read the combined review of the book and Kekäläinen’s latest performance Hullut/Insane from Helsingin Sanomat.
Photos from last rehearsals and finetuning of TOTEM-theatre‘s Tulppaanikupla – pörssiromahdus ja rahan synty production. Premiere is on Thursday 18 January after which Tulppaanikupla will be touring schools until November.
17th century tulip bulb broker alias Pasi Lappalainen & Scrooge alias Päivi Rissanen in a press photo by Tomi Suovankoski.
Set & costume designer Paula Koivunen at work.
Audience participation designer Camilla Anderzén checking the purses of investors. Photo by Päivi Rissanen.
Getting ready for test audience (the collars and wrist laces are for high court judges).
Light designer Jaanus Lintera testing lights for high court.
Director fooling around as a high court judge. Photo by Paula Koivunen
