HELSINKI+50 On STAGE

 

HELSINKI+50 On STAGE




Watch this page for a developing project we are involved in with Superior Anti-Theatre and KOKO Teatteri based on ngo and other participant experiences at the 50th Anniversary of the Helsinki Peace and Security Conference in July, 2025.

A dramatic reading opened the play  by A I Tolvanen on July 12th, 2.30 pm at Helsinki Peace Station directed by Tero Heinämäki starring Janne Suutarinen, Ina Raunio, Ville Pulkki

The play is now in rehearsals for a run Aug. 19-23.8.2026 at Upstairs at the Gatehouse during the Camden Fringe in London, UK directed by and starring Janne Suutarinen with Ville Pulkki, Tuija Hanhikoski and Malin Saine.

Retired US diplomat Al arrives in Helsinki to revisit the high point of his career-the 1975 conference venue which helped defuse the Cold War and the nuclear arms race. He meets Samantha from the Finnish government assigned to the Jubilee event. She is all frazzeled as her daughter has just been arrested outside the venue for protesting against militarism and climate inaction. Then she almost has a nervous breakdown realizing one delegate is her secret ex-lover, a Russian named Boris, the undeclared father of her daughter. Apparently Boris and the Ukrainian representative, Val have been having behind-the-scenes peace talks. This is not at all on the agenda of the hosting Finnish government which has been working hard on firming up a collective European war effort. Al gets involved brokering the "deal" after calling Washington. Everything seems to be going out of control and Samantha suddenly sees her career going down in flames for messing up the carefully scripted event in front of the global VIPs attending.  Then a nuclear weapons related plot emerges and things threaten to go ballistic.

The Finnish, Canadian and international group who were present at last summer´s Helsinki+50 Jubilee create scenes interlaced with song and dance.




                                   Grafics: Alexandr Andro, M Arslan


The Compay

Tuija Hanhikoski  (Sam) has an MA in acting and experience in several Finnish city theatres and on film. "My performative and musical roots are deeply grounded in folk tradition...This rootedness reflects my way of working and being..."

Malin Saine (Val) has been in productions in Finland, Sweden and Spain including a recent lead at at the Swedish National Theatre of Finland. She holds a masters in acting from Helsinki's University of Fine Arts.

Ville Pulkki (Bo) performs regularly in musicals aand theatre plays. His day job is as professor of acoustics in Aalto University. Ville studied musuc at Sibelius Academy as well as dance and acting in different school.

Janne Suutarinen (Al) is also our Director and has acted and directed on stage and screen in Finland and internationally. He has an MA in Theatre and his work spans playwriting, liberettos, musicals and contemporary opera.

 Arttu Peltoniemi is our talented choreographer who experience was invaluable in keeping us from trampling on each other´s toes.


The play is produced in cooperation with Helsinki's KOKO-teatteri by 

Superior Anti-Theatre:

Superior Anti-Theatre has been creating theatre in Canada, Finland and The U.K. based on the real daily lives of individuals in community and workaday contexts for 20 years bringing together people who often never acted before with supporting professionals. Inspiration is commonly drawn from popular movements like Occupy Wall Street, Fridays for the Future and the Helsinki groups in selecting themes and addressing audiences with stories left untold by establishment theatre and the media.

https://www.facebook.com/Wealth.secrets.play





Comments

  1. Helsinki +50 NGO ForumJuly 12, 2026 at 6:13 PM

    Thanks to all who attended on July 12th! Your comments will help us make our little play a success.

    ReplyDelete

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