The Finland Myth is a play aimed at young people and adults, exploring the history of Finland and its development from a Swedish province, via Russia, into an independent state. We tackle the Finnish identity, the spirit of independence, cultural peculiarities and myths with an energetic approach, grounded in history.

For us Finns, Finland as a nation is a given and has always existed. Or is it? In this day and age, it’s worth asking: who is actually Finnish? In this performance, we’ll explore questions such as who was the first Finn, who invented ‘Finnishness’, and why we speak Finnish rather than, say, Swedish or Russian. We delve deep into the very heart of Finnishness, recounting its origins and debunking a few of the myths surrounding it.

The themes include the emergence of Finnishness, the crises and wars we have faced, language, the state, sport and cultural peculiarities.

‘Finland in Myth’ combines various theatre techniques, puppetry and acting.

A two-actor touring production for secondary schools and theatres.

On stage: Antti Kemppainen and Hannu Räisä

Target audience: Ages 12 and over, secondary school pupils, sixth-formers and adults