Hiljainen ystävä – Kansanteatteri Pokka

The Silent Friend tells the story of a woman who has secluded herself in a basement to write a manifesto. She is exhausted and angry. In the basement, she has brought along a laptop, a mattress, water, canned food – and a skeleton. Who is this silent friend, and how is it connected to Joensuu in the 1990s? Why has the woman torn herself away from her life and from society? Is she unhinged, or is a revolution smoldering in the bleak basement?

This stage production, shaped like a collapsing manifesto, looks into the mirror and sees something it would rather not see.

The centerpiece of Pokka's spring season is a solo performance combining music, theatre, and movement. It reflects on and comments upon the skinhead culture that was prevalent in Joensuu in the 1990s and its relevance today. The creative team consists of stage artists and musicians working in the North Karelia region, collaborating for the first time in this constellation.

The spring performances will take place in the basement of a property on Teollisuuskatu in Joensuu. Starting in autumn 2025, the production will be available for touring.

Director: Laura Kaljunen
Writers: Laura Kaljunen, Sanna Kärkkäinen & Joonatan Tola
Performer: Sanna Kärkkäinen
Sound Design & Music: Vertti Korkki
Rap Lyrics: Sanna Kärkkäinen
Choreography, Movement Direction & Dramaturgy: Lindon Shimizu
Scenographic Consultation: Jonna Kuittinen
Costume Design: Sanna Kärkkäinen
Lighting Design: The Ensemble
Graphic Design: Nikolai Tiitinen
Production: Pokka – North Karelian People's Theatre


Supported by the North Karelia Fund of the Finnish Cultural Foundation. The autumn school tour is supported by the City of Joensuu.