New Brechtian Impulses in Contemporary Finnish Theatre: A Case Study of Juha Jokela’s Esitystalous (2010)

At the beginning of the 21st century, Finnish theatre experienced a wave of new, politically engaged drama that came hand in hand with a renewal of aesthetics and dramaturgical strategies. One component of this renewal was a new perspective on Brecht’s epic theatre, which was initiated by visits of Finnish theatre directors to theatre performances, for example, by Frank Castorf, in Germany. As a consequence of this, an interweavement of Brechtian aesthetics and Finnish theatre tradition became a trend on Finnish stages. One example of this is Juha Jokela’s Esitystalous (Performance Economy), which was premiered at Espoon Kaupunginteatteri in 2010. Here, Jokela uses Brechtian alienation effects to put the audience in the position of a critical observer. However, he does not dissolve the unity of actor and role, but sticks to the Finnish acting tradition, thereby creating his very own aesthetics of a new political theatre.