Lapua!

Lapua! is a state of mind of megalomania — a world where the strongest prevails. In this wrestling performance set on a mat, everything is competition, and each participant must take risks throughout the entire match.

Drawing from the town of Lapua, the play expands into a worldview and a spirit of the times in which only the strong survive. One must remain upright and stand tall, proud like the grand two-storey houses of Ostrobothnia.

In this exuberant and humorous performance — laughing at the tragic masculinity of “macho culture” — the struggle unfolds in a wrestling arena. It also becomes clear that a constant state of readiness for battle exhausts everyone.

The production of Lapua! marked not only the beginning of my theatrical vision but also my professional directing career. It was propelled by a positive review from critic Jukka Kajava and by the working group that formed during the process — a group I later invited to found Myllyteatteri.