New Baltic Drama is an intimate theatre festival that will highlight the personal works from young and rising theatre professionals. Four new plays will be produced for four new dramatic texts created through a drama writing competition held in Finland, Sweden, Estonia and Russia. Finland’s performance will be included in the Turku City Theatre autumn programme, and other performances will visit Turku with a miniature theatre festival in November. The festival and competition are a joint project of 2011 European Capitals of Culture Turku and Tallinn.
The Finnish part of the competition was won by Pipsa Lonka with her work These Little Town Blues Are Melting Away. The text describes life in a secluded area that faces a catastrophe as rising water threatens to take over the entire area. Kontakt by Estonian Martin Algus is a story of people living in the countries by the Baltic Sea who, both knowingly and unknowingly, seek contact towards other people and society. The text Iljin den (Ilja’s Day) by Russian winner Semyon Kirov depicts the surprising encounter and clash of the ideologies of two persons: old, bitter and estranged Misha and young, idealistic and trusting Ilja. Swede Johanna Emanuelsson wrote a play called Älfborgsbron (Älfsborg Bridge) where Regina, the main character, ponders over life and death on the Älfsborg Bridge.
Altogether, over 400 authors submitted their texts to the competition. National boards and eventually an international board of jurors then selected the final winners. A general theme for the competition was the Baltic Sea. The theme is also evident in the winning texts, which interpreted the Baltic Sea in literal and symbolic form.
In Finland, the play is produced by Turku City Theatre, in Sweden by Riksteatern and in Estonia by Tallinn Linnateater. The Turku performance is being directed by Hilkka-Liisa Iivanainen.
Turku City Theatre is responsible for organising the project.
- Autumn: Finland’s performance, Turku City Theatre
- 9–19 November: Miniature festival, guest performances from Sweden, Estonia and Russia, Turku City Theatre
