Theatre Festival 2016: In Quest of New Visions for the Future
12.5.2016
The Tampere Theatre Festival is organized August 1.– 7. for the 48th time. The artistic team of this year’s festival, Mikko Roiha, Milja Sarkola and Miko Jaakkola, say: “In 2016, everyone seems confused about where to turn, which direction to go. The sense of being lost appears to affect politics, economy and people’s personal lives all alike. The Main Program of the Tampere Theatre Festival reflects on this confusion and searches for the lost guidelines and new visions for the future.”
The Main Program of the Tampere Theatre Festival 2016 consists of 20 theatre ensembles, seven of which are international guests. There are altogether 41 performances.
Images of Reality
Many of the Main Program performances address today’s reality one way or another. The third and final part of Politiikkakollektiivi and Ryhmäteatteri’s Parliament trilogy unmasks the political games played today in our welfare society. Susanna Kuparinen’s direction is a satire about a land of one truth.
Aurinkoteatteri’s fairy tale for grown-ups, the multitemporal musical Maa-Tuska is a stinging allegory of the dismantling of education, arts and culture. The original and authentic play is written and directed by Juha Mustanoja.
The Finnish National Theatre’s In the Republic of Happiness is a scathing satire on today's notions of freedom written by the renowned contemporary dramatist Martin Crimp. The play is translated into Finnish and directed by Minna Leino.
Saara Turunen has written and directed The Phantom of Ordinariness – Impressions of a Homeland for Q-teatteri. As the title suggests, the play explores ordinariness and pursuing normalcy, the fear of difference and the horror of standing out from the crowd. The play takes broader social issues and puts them into the micro society of a family.
Four standpoints
The Main Program’s series of four standpoints addresses the pressures and tensions that individuals and communities must face in this intensified social situation.
Noora Dadu’s My Palestine illustrates an explosive political conflict from a personal perspective. In her show Tar Baby, the American actor and comedian Desiree Burch shows through the medium of comedy how an individual is forced to deal with racism.
The Transforces group and Teemu Mäki’s documentary theatre performance Transformations – Rewriting Masculinity explores the issues of gender plurality.
Anna Paavilainen’s solo work PLAY RAPE speaks about the themes of domination and freedom of speech. On the basis of her own personal experiences, the actor tears into the core issues of theatre art.
Classics now
Strong interpretations of theatre classics are also found in the Main Program. The Reykjavik City Theatre brings to the festival Anton Chekhov’s timeless play Seagull directed by the internationally renowned theatre-maker Yana Ross.
Director Igor Vuk Torbica and his Serbian team have taken on Heinrich von Kleist’s classic play The Broken Jug. Its themes, such as corruption and abuse of power, are as current as ever.
Choreographer, dancer Carl Knif’s direction Förvandlingen (The Metamorphosis) for the Svenska Theatre shows how magnificently Franz Kafka’s absurd classic novella can be adapted for stage by means of physical theatre.
Director Antti Mikkola’s bold adaptation of Jouko and Juha Turkka’s work Cherished Disappointments in Love, written 20 years ago, brings the play into the present. The Seinäjoki City Theatre’s multilayered comedy is full of fury.
The Riihimäki Teatteri and Näyttämö 3T’s musical theatre performance The Grimm Book of Horrors opens new doors to the world of Brothers Grimm and its chamber of horrors.
Proposals for new generations
The new generation performances in the Main Program offer their voices and visions for new worldviews.
Ruusu Haarla’s artistic thesis for the Theatre Academy of the University of the Arts Ruska – A Portrait of Love is a tragicomedy about a young woman who struggles to learn how to be her own person.
The Degree Programme in Theatre Arts NÄTY’s Hipsters takes the audience on a trip into the unknown doing and experiencing things together. The performance is directed by Professor of Theatre Work Pauliina Hulkko and performed by this spring’s graduate NÄTY acting students.
One of Sweden’s most renowned theatres for children and youth, ung scen/öst, is also visiting the Festival. Rose Rose Rose is a charming growth story of a young girl told by three male actors.
International jewels
The Swiss Thom Lutz’ direction When I Die – A Ghost Story with Music is a powerful musical and atmospheric piece based on the true-life story of a spirit composer, Rosemary Brown. In turn, the Icelandic Rebel Rebel’s A Retrospective – Series of Novels never written explores the possibilities of translating literary work into the language of choreography.
The Canadian actor and comedian Haley McGee returns to the Festival with her recent performance I’m Doing This for You. Finland’s most international contemporary circus group Race Horse Company brings to Tampere their acclaimed wild man circus performance Super Sunday, which can now be seen in Finland for the second time. The performance is produced in collaboration with Circus Ruska Festival.
Tickets for the Main Program performances are now available.