Jussi Sorjanen wants to make Espoo Theatre & world famous

“We are the only theatre in Finland that has regular visiting international performances. In addition, the shows have subtitles, which makes them accessible to people who do not speak Finnish or Swedish. The most important element might be our international co-productions,” Sorjanen says about &’s internationality policy.

“In the future, we intend to enhance the co-production aspect so that we are not just a theatre that provides the stage for these performances; we also want to be involved in the planning and realisation of shows and we want to contribute to their creation,” he says.

Sorjanen’s words carry weight, as he has a lot of experience in international productions and co-productions as a director at various theatres, such as Kajaani City Theatre, and as part of the management of the theatres Vanha Juko and Viirus.

Internationality is not limited to productions: Sorjanen also wants to shake up the structures of the Finnish theatre world. Elsewhere in the world, theatres often operate differently than in Finland.

“I say this with love, but the Finnish theatre tradition is strongly entwined with folk theatre, which differs greatly from, for example, the Central European theatre tradition where the role of the theatre is different,” he says. 

Another difference, according to Sorjanen, is the theatres’ programme rotation. In Finland, theatres’ programmes only have a few plays that are performed frequently for a season or two and then they are discarded. Elsewhere, theatres can have dozens of productions in their repertoire that run for a long time, but their performances are less frequent. 

“It is not easy to go from Finland to international stages. This is because of our location at the periphery of Europe and our overall lack of experience in international cooperation,” he explains.

Sorjanen’s goal is to make &’s programme both international and so high-quality that it attracts theatre lovers to see at least one production, but preferably all productions, in a season. 

“The thing we want to invest in is damn good performances. The quality and attractiveness of plays. Even though our ultimate goal also includes international audiences, it is still important that we make Espoo residents feel at home at &,” he says. 

The achievement of this goal will be supported by Espoo’s new theatre building where & will move in 2028, if everything goes to plan. 

“The truth is that our current facilities and technical capacity limit what we can do. Once we get our new big stage open, we will have the space for productions of a completely different scale,” Sorjanen says about the future. 

Regardless of the stage, Sorjanen wants the performances at & to reach as diverse an audience as possible – even the people who consider theatre to be a too fancy, boring or otherwise unnecessary art form. 

“At its best, theatre is a superior art form that can leave a stronger mark than anything else. It can even provide pivotal moments in life,” he says. 

For Sorjanen, such a moment was Minä olen Adolf Eichmann (“I am Adolf Eichmann”), Jari Juutinen’s play about a German civil servant who wanted to do his job as well as possible – despite the fact that the job was organising the Holocaust. 

“It was an experience that changed my world and made me think that theatre can be more than entertaining musicals. It was a turning point from which my own theatre career started,” he says. 

And these kinds of moments Sorjanen wants & to offer to Espoo residents – and maybe the whole world.

Although theatre is a big part of Sorjanen’s life, both at work and in his free time, there are also other cultural highlights, such as art, architecture and music, available in Espoo in September.

Rashaad Newsome – Untitled (New Way) (until 23 November 2025 at EMMA – Espoo Museum of Modern Art(external link, opens in a new window))

“I plan to visit EMMA several times this autumn, but I’m most interested in this artwork that is a dialogue between two art forms – dance and visual arts. The work is part of the Saastamoinen Foundation’s art collection and will be on display until late 2025.

Minna Craucher (from 17 September onwards at Espoo Theatre &(external link, opens in a new window))

“Minna Craucher is a story about a social climber – or just a person who tried to get by in a tough world by changing their identity according to what was best for them at the time. 

I can recommend this because I have not been involved in it, heh! Minna Craucher is a rarity – a new Finnish musical. The stage will have an insanely skilled ensemble of performers, each of whom is an skilled professional of both music and theatre. I have been to the rehearsals and every one of them really does the work of two, if not three, people.”

Futuro (until 15 September 2024 at WeeGee Exhibition Centre)

“WeeGee is displaying Martti Suuronen’s Futuro, a round plastic house that looks like a UFO. A great place to visit, and suitable for the whole family.”

Later in the autumn, there will be some great things in Espoo, and Sorjanen wants to highlight a couple that are close to his heart: 

Jultomten som försvann (from 30 November onwards at Unga Teatern(external link, opens in a new window))

“Unga Teatern is a great Swedish-language theatre that makes performance art for children in a small space but with great ambition. In December, the theatre will perform Jultomten som försvann (“Santa Claus who disappeared”), written and directed by the recently deceased Frank Skog. Frank was the driving force behind “Ungis” and a prominent figure throughout the Swedish-speaking theatre scene.”

Concert by Saimaa (on 5 October 2024 from 19.00 to 20.30 at Espoo Cultural Centre)

“Led by Matti Mikkola, Saimaa is one of the most original bands in Finland in many ways. The band is a large group of artists who play beautifully on an epic scale, and seeing them perform live is a rare treat. I love music and there is nothing better than a group of talented musicians playing great music to their hearts’ content!”

For all CultureEspoo events, visit cultureespoo.fi/events