Unmissable Theatre From-Start-to-Finnish: new British/Finnish Programme Launches at Edinburgh this Summer
- ‘From Start to Finnish’ is a ground-breaking theatrical exchange programme between British and Finnish theatre launched in 2012
- new work created through British-Finnish partnerships: premiered at the Pleasance in London and Edinburgh
- Finland has more theatres per capita than almost anywhere else, 3.6 million theatre tickets are bought annually by a population of only 5.2 million people and any town over 25,000 inhabitants has its own dedicated theatre
- The first dedicated From-Start-to-Finnish programme at Edinburgh will be staged for the first time this summer (1-27 August). Press ticket requests: pleasance@kallaway.com
Images and press releases: http://bit.ly/FSTFpress
Website: www.pleasance.co.uk/from-start-to-finnish
Launch party Monday 6 August at Arthur’s Bar, Pleasance Courtyard, 4.30pm – 6.30pm, RSVP: pleasance@kallaway.com; 020 7221 7883
This summer the Edinburgh Festival Fringe will be playing host to a remarkable programme of new work created out of a ground-breaking partnership between the Pleasance and ACE Production, Finland’s biggest theatre production company.
Building on the phenomenal interest in film and television from the Scandinavian region, ‘From-Start-to-Finnish’ is a new initiative which taps into Finland’s astonishing theatrical tradition; the birthplace of Nokia and Angry Birds is also home to more theatres per capita than almost anywhere else in the world and 3.6m tickets are bought annually by a population of only 5.2m. The From-Start-to-Finnish Programme brings new work and adaptations to the UK and takes new British work to Finland. At the same time new contexts, such as reinterpreting Finnish plays with British actors, offer fresh insights and perspectives on existing works – creating entirely new pieces. Ultimately, the programme aims to develop a vibrant, long-lasting partnership which will impact on theatre internationally.
Anthony Alderson, Director, the Pleasance Theatre says: “The new writing and talent coming from Finland is remarkable. The country’s entire approach to theatre is not only inspiring but also valuable for the UK theatre industry as we look for quality productions, talent and ideas for the future.
“Over the past couple of years we have been fortunate to work with Johan Storgard, the award-winning Finnish actor and chief executive of ACE Production, to bring Finnish theatre to the Fringe. This success has lead us to create together the ‘From Start To Finish’ programme enabling UK theatre professionals and theatre lovers alike to experience Finnish drama at its best. I look forward to welcoming as many people as possible to the events and performances we’re holding both in London and Edinburgh.”
Johan Storgard, award-winning Finnish actor and chief executive of ACE Production says: “To open up the rich talent in Finnish theatre to a broader audience we need to present Finnish works internationally - but we should also be looking to produce new writing and theatre work with other cultures. To do this we need partners that have the same passion, courage and inspiration as we do for the art form. I have seen the Pleasance ambition in action both in Edinburgh and in London and together with them I hope we will start on the road to this vision”.
The Edinburgh programme follows the successful debut on the London stage of two Finnish plays originally trialled in Edinburgh in 2010 and 2011: Death of a Theatre Critic, Joakim Groth’s dark comedy about chance and destiny, and The Overcoat, which won Billy Mack the Stage Award for Best Actor for his role as lead character Akaky Akakievich (Akaky McAkaky) at its Fringe debut. Re-interpreted by a cast of British and Finnish actors the productions cast new perspectives on two classics and gained critical acclaim in both Edinburgh and London.
New young company Curious Directive’s Your Last Breath – which received rave reviews at 2011 Edinburgh Fringe and went on to win a 2011 Scotsman Fringe First – will be touring Finland later this year.
From-Start-to-Finnish Edinburgh programme: 1-27 August (www.pleasance.co.uk/from-start-to-finnish):
Continuous Growth, Pleasance Queen Dome, daily (except 13 and 20 August) 12:10 - 13:35 Produced by Ryhmätetatteri (The Groupe Theatre) and written by Esa Leskinen and Sami Keski-Vähälä, Continuous Growth is a timely comedy about work and productivity and forms a loose sequel to their other work, The Overcoat (staged in London for the first time earlier this year – see above). The production follows the amazing and eventful story of Antero Alapylpyrä, an ordinary family man and standard-issue engineer, who loses his job, starts a business, and manages to mess up the entire global economy in neverbefore-seen ways.With its deft comic touch, the play examines the need of ordinary individuals to find meaning amidst chaos, debt and a runaway global economy.
My Elevator Days, Pleasance Upstairs, daily (except 13 and 20 August) 12:30 - 13:40 Produced by Svenska Teatern (The Swedish Theatre), Helsinki, My Elevator Days is the tragicomical monologue of one man as he reflects on life; his dog who loved poetry, his visit to a sex club (which was a failure), his lifelong affection to Grace Kelly, and his mysterious meeting with a girl named Diana… - talking in turns to the audience and to the elevator, his only companion. The play is the work of Bengt Ahlfors (born 1937), one of the leading playwrights in Scandinavia, who directed the first production of My Elevator Days in 2006 in Helsinki, where it is still running. For the Edinburgh debut Ahlfors will also be taking the lead role.
From Start to Finnish has been developed by the Ministry of Education and Culture of Finland and the Pleasance Theatre with the assistance of and ACE Production, Finland.
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Press contacts and images:
Contact Kallaway for further information:
• William Kallaway T: 020 7221 7883 E: william.kallaway@kallaway.com
• Susannah Glynn, T: 020 7221 7883 E: susannah.glynn@kallaway.com
About ‘From Start to Finnish’
‘From Start to Finnish’ began with a meeting between the Finnish Minister for Culture and Anthony Alderson, Director of the Pleasance, at the Edinburgh Festival Fringe in 2009. Following the development of a two-year relationship which saw Finnish work receive critical acclaim at Edinburgh in 2010 and 2011, an official exchange initiative was launched in London in April 2012. The first ‘From Start to Finnish’ programme saw the London premiere of two acclaimed Finnish works, a dedicated programme of new and adapted Finnish works at the Edinburgh Festival Fringe, and the showcasing of new British work to a Finnish audience. ‘From Start to Finnish’, which is set to be a three-year programme, has been made possible by support from the Finnish Ministry of Education and Culture.
About the Pleasance Theatre
The Pleasance, a registered charity, was founded by Christopher Richardson in 1985 to present, support and develop the very best British talent at the Edinburgh Festival Fringe. In order to continue developing the work it was supporting on the Fringe, in 1995 the Pleasance built two theatres in Islington, North London. In 2004, Anthony Alderson took over the Directorship with the intention to further the opportunities The Pleasance offers by developing the touring platform, increasing the number of venues in Edinburgh, expanding the site in London, and exploring new art-forms. The Pleasance is now one of the most valued cornerstones for the entertainment industry in this country. Over its 28-year history the organisation has created performance space and provided facilities and support for over 5000 productions, that have to date involved over 40,000 people within the arts and theatre industry.
The Pleasance has been the launch-pad and test-bed for the work of some of our best loved comedians, actors, directors, writers, producers and technicians, including Mitchell and Webb, Steven Berkoff, The League of Gentlemen, Nichola McAuliffe, Michael McIntyre, Timothy West, Art Malik, Julian Sands, Paul Merton, Stephen K Amos, Bill Bailey, Jo Brand, Stewart Lee, Graham Norton, Arthur Smith, Caroline Quentin, The Mighty Boosh, Theatre de Complicité, Ed Hall, Rufus Norris, Daniel Rigby, Julian Clary,Steve Coogan, Dara O’Briain, Hugh Dennis and John Malkovich and many more.
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