SAMPO Festival 2024 is coming August 28th to September 1st 2024 – program is published!

BABYGONIA

We invite babies from eight months to two and a half years old to arrive at a theatre. They always come like royalty in carriages, accompanied by an adult retinue. And they enter the show as a river can be entered – they can bravely go with its flow or against it; they can watch how it flows; they can lie down and look into it, or just listen to the sound of water.

The theatre is not divided into an auditorium and a stage. The actors create a variety of images and compositions in space, where, if desired and ready, large and small spectators can enter. The audience chooses the degree of their participation and activity in the action organized by the actors.

The performance is based on associative forms, shapes and tactile-sensory perception of space, in which micro- and macro-universes are formed, assembled from objects of different colors, sizes, textures and sounds (the visual story is accompanied by live music).

Baby spectator is a little Buddha: s/he does not know what adults do know. But s/he still remembers what grown-ups have forgotten. S/he has an amazing curiosity about everything around. S/he questions and explores every tiny thing s/he notices. S/he enjoys this devising process.

We borrow from little buddhas their method of communication with reality and we are using it as a professional approach in creating baby theatre.

Note: baby prams and strollers are to be left in the yard of Annantalo. The pram parks in the front and back yards are sheltered from the rain.

Natchav

Shadow theatre with live music

In the darkness of the early morning, the Natchav circus arrives to town. Its caravan of trailers and lorries take their place in the central square. The sledge gang begins its concert of steady blows, pounding the first stakes into the ground; the sound of the immense canvas whips through the air as the tent poles are hoisted to the sky.

Suddenly, out of concern for security, the authorities order the circus to leave, forcing them onto a vacant lot in the outskirts of town. Following a scuffle, one of the acrobats is arrested and jailed for contempt and rebellion. So, the circus troupe, along with the other prisoners, decide to carry out a spectacular escape, one full of ingenuity and twists and turns...

Through an extraordinary play of shadow and light, Natchav (go away, run away in Rromani) recounts a story in which, on the margins of society, two fundamentally opposed worlds mingle — that of the circus and of the prison.

It is a story of intrigue that unfolds through a dynamic scenography. With no spoken dialogue, the visuals and music generated and performed live guide the narration, creating an original and provocative composition between reality and fantasy.

First premiere of Natchav was December 2nd 2019 in Maison de la Culture de Nevers Agglomération in France. 

https://www.lesombresportees.fr/

Tunnel

Tunnel is an unusual production that seeks comfort in the dark and treats light like a delicious dessert. At first it seems that the light can be controlled, while the darkness – unknown, dangerous – cannot. However, in the performance, the situation is soon reversed – with a pinch of courage and a pinch of cooperation, we can safely enjoy the darkness as we dose it ourselves.

Eeny, meeny, miny, moe,

I will tell you where to go,

so you don’t fall into the darkness,

so you don't get lost in the forest,

eeny, meeny, miny, moe.

Tunnel is inhabited by both light and darkness. Light is inseparably linked to colour, shape, structure, depth, distance, and activity. When there is no light, it is dark. In darkness we cannot see colours, we cannot perceive actual shapes and sizes, we cannot perceive structure without touching, we can hardly determine distances. The world revealed in the light disappears, sounds become distorted without a clear picture and many people feel discomfort. Fear?

We are different – some more courageous, others less so; some assertive, even impulsive, others timid, immovable or calmly prudent. Loud and quiet, together and apart. We like different things, we dislike different things. Because we are different, we are also differently afraid of very different things. We don't know it until it is for real. But when is it for real?

For example…

One day we are all playing in our own way and someone suggests playing with light. And he or she finds a way – a switch. But playing with light also means playing with darkness...

And if the switch breaks? Do we then still know what colour, shape, texture, size the world is? Where are we? And who are we – do we also change, lose our colour, shape, structure, depth and size?

Only when we are really scared (aha, maybe this is for real!) is the moment to decide – to move forward with courage. Only forward gets us anywhere, and only courage can help us get there. And it is great that there are more of us, that we are different, that we are afraid of different things in different ways, because then we are also courageous in different ways, and with different courage we look at different fears in different ways, and we stare into the darkness long enough for our eyes to get used to it, for it to become familiar, and we travel through it, and we rejoice in it, and we laugh at it, and if we want to, we squeeze it into a corner and we pierce it with the most beautiful colours. We become switches for light.

(And for colours, shapes, textures, sizes, depths and distances, oops, proximities.)

On-off, on-off, on-off, on-off.

Based on the animation of light and darkness, the performance creates a 'darkround' (a playground for darkness), where associative visual and sound images are created that playfully raise questions about fear and courage. In material theatre, the event is conceived on the basis of the use of the material, which takes into account its physical, chemical, utilitarian and symbolic properties. In Tunnel, the animators animate and define the forms of darkness and light, discovering their movement and character, and bringing them to the point where they become a medium, not just a sensory perception. They offer young audiences an associative playground in which to exercise their imaginative world and polish their creativity, and adults a reflection on the dimensions of this omnipresent, intangible substance, which is quite impossible to grasp in one fell swoop.

www.lgl.si

Carte Blanche

Cabaret for an actress, white canvas puppets and paint

Michal Svironi mixes the world of visual arts with that of theatre and creates a visual language that is unique to her. Poetry, pain and humour intertwine in a thread that links generations and leads to the eternal question: what has been left to us and what will be left behind?

Michal Svironi, together with musician Johnny Tan, realizes a dream and conjures up through spirits, ghosts that have left a trace in his memory. In a macabre circus procession, the characters, like demiurges, become incarnate and unfold on the stage. Each one is a creation in its own right and all of them cross the different dimensions and tell their story with humour. Together they allow us to face the experience of separation; those that have been, those that will be, the separation of body and mind. What remains of our past and what will we leave behind?

https://www.michalsvironi.com/

Session Bulgakov

Puppet-object brain-storming after the motifs of The Master and Margarita

Session Bulgakov is a reconstruction of the novel, set up on the dynamics of contrasts between burlesque and abstract images of object theatre, which remained on the ruins of the confusion, left behind by Satan and his accomplices. In its fragmentation and through the rhytmization of words, gestures and sounds it combines the associations on today’s obsessed world and the tragic side of everyman with his problems, fears and desires. A trio of actors, animators and musicians puts the spectators into the role of witnesses and eyewitnesses to specific events, leading them through some originally interpreted pictures of the novel at a dynamic pace.

The play filled with dramatic expression, poetic impressions, playfulness and simultaneous flirtation with an ironic criticism of the world will leave different responses and options for interpretation. We discover sense either in Bulgakov’s fleshy subject matter, coming to life in front of our eyes as object theatre or in the work’s musical dramaturgy, which is at times explicitly concert. In the performance we either recognize ourselves as patients in a social institution or we simply immerse ourselves into the flow of associations in this session, filled with inventive twists.

www.lgl.si

Tailor Made

On a morning just like any other, a little tailor gets a note. It reads: “Your mission is to sew a coat by midnight. The size does not matter, but it must fit perfectly…”

At precisely midnight the tailor completes his mission, but then…

Where is the sewing machine running off to? Why are the scissors wearing a skirt? What has the thimble turned into?

Come join in the magical adventure of the tailor.

A play with a few words combining puppetry, object theater, textiles and music.

Performances on Thursday and Friday evening are in English with translations in Finnish. Performances on Friday morning for school classes are in English.

https://www.instagram.com/ornanbraier/

Pipu

Puppetry for babies and toddlers

Pipu is a small red ball that doesn’t bounce but wants to move in its own way.

Pipu is curious and playful. For Pipu, anything is possible, and the whole universe revolves around itself. The performance is an almost nonverbal experience of color, accompanied by verstatile live music. Moods are created through instruments, songs, reflections, music, words, and dance. Pipu makes you sensitive to hearing, seeing, and feeling colors. Suitable especially for babies and toddlers.

https://nukketeatterisampo.fi

Romeo and Juliet (Romeo og Julie)

Legendary classic retold with puppets

A feud between two families has lasted for decades, and has been inherited. But what will prevail – love or tradition?

With humor and ingenuity, the touching tale of Romeo and Juliet is made heartfelt, lively and dynamic. Two, whose love will not succumb to fear, prejudice and power. Full of emotion and issues both children and adults can recognize.

”Teater Refleksion’s puppet version of ’Romeo and Juliet’ doesn’t just rewrite Shakespeare’s classic as a childrens’ fairy tale. …It simply tells the entire gruesome tragedy in a way, children understand.” – Teateravisen

www.refleksion.dk

Little visitors

Our rather peculiar hostess lives together with animals, mushrooms, and dream creatures. She brews colourful dyes from flowers, herbs, and spices, and she likes to paint. While she does so, she is either silent or she is murmuring to herself. She’ll be happy to welcome you to her home, where you can look at her paintings, sit down and enjoy this miraculous meeting. Feel free to paint and have a cup of juice.

A theatre performance for children, their parents, and all who love visiting others. Little Visitors (in Czech: Návštěva) attempts to show things up close. You can experience the moment of colour being created, feel how the paper soaks it up, see how to hold a brush, how it glides over the surface, and how it resists. It is a glance at things common and simple that, however, at a closer look speak in a language of miracles. The performance unfolds as a dialogue between Veronika Vlková, a painter and an illustrator, and Robert Smolík, a puppeteer and a scenographer, both from Czech Republic. It is a dialogue on the border between an exhibition and theatre.

www.jasuteren.cz/en

Harms fault!

Nonsense theatrical puppet concert on prepared accordion

“An old woman fell out of the window because she was too curious. She fell and broke into pieces.”

The new solo performance by Matija Solce, "Harms Fault!", combines object-based theater of the absurd with a live concert. It draws inspiration from the works of Daniil Harms, one of the last representatives of Russian avant-garde in the 1930s and brings his artistic struggle into a contemporary context by challenging and provoking stereotypes with absurd situations.

The central stage object is an original multifunctional instrument, built from parts of several accordions in combination with MIDI technology and analog mechanisms. The nonsense one-man musical serves as the musical trigger for actions and, at the same time, the scenic foundation for puppet scenes full of hits, screams, sounds, falls, slaps, and unexpected events. The unpredictable stories, connected with Harms’ “Old Woman'' will transform from atmospheric puppet theater into sarcastic executions of gentle characters, creating a juxtaposition of moods and themes. The audience will witness the magic of creating visual, sound and figurative illusion and its deconstruction at every step of the show.

https://www.matijasolce.com / https://www.lgl.si/en/performances/mladina/1149-Harms-fault

In this event Compagnie Bakélite will perform two different shows, with intermission in between. You can purchase tickets for an individual show or as a double bill for both shows.

L'amour du risque

Ballet for robot vacuum cleaners

A man is waiting to be served for a candle-lit dinner accompanied by romantic music.

Here, the service is automated and managed by artificial intelligence with somewhat limited capacities.

Robots move about randomly and come and go in the space, creating a hypnotic dance.

During the performance, their behaviour is increasingly disordered and they even seem to have human intentions.

A question of balance, on the edge of the precipice, an accident is never far away.

Star Show

OBJECT THEATRE ON THE TILES, A REGISTERED TRADEMARK OF COMPAGNIE BAKÉLITE... AND NASA

On the eve of space tourism and low-cost shuttles to the moon, Bakélite Theatre Company will be putting all its ingenuity and improvisational skills into offering you a journey which only a select few men and women have ever accomplished.

Set off into the unknown, in the footsteps of the space pioneers.

Start the countdown, 3… 2… 1…Blast off!

But to go where?

https://www.compagnie-bakelite.com

Star Show

OBJECT THEATRE ON THE TILES, A REGISTERED TRADEMARK OF COMPAGNIE BAKÉLITE... AND NASA

On the eve of space tourism and low-cost shuttles to the moon, Bakélite Theatre Company will be putting all its ingenuity and improvisational skills into offering you a journey which only a select few men and women have ever accomplished.

Set off into the unknown, in the footsteps of the space pioneers.

Start the countdown, 3… 2… 1…Blast off!

But to go where?

https://www.compagnie-bakelite.com/

 Angelique and the Hot Spot

"Angelique felt how the drops of water tickled her hips just like the words of that handsome young man: Je t'aime"

Do you remember Angelique? The heroine of that 60s extravagant romantic book and movie series, who was thrown by fate from the clutches of pirates into the embrace of the sun king. Tehdas Teatteri brings this beautiful heroine to the puppet theatre stage. Angelique and the Hot Spot premiered in November 2023 in Turku, and it immediately became a big favorite with the audience. The red-haired beauty arrives in Helsinki again - this time on the SAMPO Festival!

The charming performers Merja Pöyhönen and Timo Väntsi conjure up a fast-paced adventure for their stick puppets and muppet puppets, set to camp cinema music. Fantasies take you with you and exotic venues follow each other. Along with historical France, the sultan's harem, and the shadow of the slave market, we also come across the burning question: in what light can a female figure be seen in this time?

However, love is burning from one decade and century to another, and handling conflicting topics with warm humor is in the core competence of this working group.

https://www.tehdasteatteri.fi

The Bunny and the Miraculous Cloud

An endearing, sweet story about a bunny and a wonderful cloud. The bunny has a lot of fun things to do and tasty things to eat – but one day the bunny is no longer interested in anything. What’s wrong with the rabbit, do you need a little magic?

Inspired by Margaret Wise Brown´s book, the dramatization features cute little animal puppets, rhymes, songs and live music.

https://nukketeatterisampo.fi

Celebration Day

The new play for Teatteri Mukamas' 45th anniversary is JUHLAPÄIVÄ - CELEBRATION DAY. The first performance was at Mukamas premises in Tampere on February 29, 2024, and now the performance is visiting the SAMPO Festival!

Two friends decide to organize a surprise for Fea the dog, but the audiences´ help is needed. What does one need for a celebration? Strawberries, cotton candy or beets and carrots? Let's celebrate together!

The performance combines puppetry, music and dance in a fun way.

https://teatterimukamas.com

My name is Charlie

Hello! Don’t know who I am? Well my name is Charlie, of course! I’ve once been a big movie star who has made laughed, amazed and excited millions of viewers, small and big, for over a hundred years. Today, as then, my life is colored by simple daily adventures….for example, I came across a strange can, a mischievous wind and its waltz spins, a strange space egg, and a police officer on duty. But I tell all this in my ”quiet” puppet theater … See you soon! My name is Charlie, don’t forget me…..

https://www.pikkuaasi.org

Puppet workshop at Annantalo 

Sat 31.8.2024 from 11 am to 2 pm – non-stop

Welcome to the festival open non-stop puppet workshop! In the workshop, we build tabletop theatre figures, small theatre puppets, which are nice to play with on a small stage when they are ready.

Table theatre puppets can be made using ready-made models or you can also design your own character!

Workshop is instructed by Anne Lihavainen.