Interview with artists: The Day of Remembrance and Business as Usual – From Documentary Material to Drama

Playwrights Elli Salo & Mehis Pihla. Writers Guild of Finland, Teatterin Uusi Alkukirjasto (TUA), Tampere Theatre Festival

Thu 6.8.2026 15:00–16:00
TTT Eino Salmelainen stage foyer (Hämeenpuisto 28)
 

Performances of Business as Usual (Rahamaa) by Mehis Pihla, dramaturg and playwright at the Estonian Drama Theatre, and The Day of Remembrance (Muistopäivä) by Elli Salo, resident playwright at the Finnish National Theatre, have been sold out night after night and have sparked broader social debate on their themes.

Now, Pihla and Salo discuss what it is like to write for the stage based on real events and documentary material, and how the diverse tradition of documentary theatre influences their work. How can the documentary nature of a work alter our perception of a nation's shared stories? What is the role of fiction in a play and a theatre performance when the aim is to bring collective memory to light and trust in the power of testimonies?

Interviewees: Playwrights Mehis Pihla and Elli Salo
Interviewer: Critic, journalist, and publisher Maria Säkö

The interview will be conducted in English. 

Playbooks will be available for purchase at the event.

The venue is accessible
More information

Organizers: Writers Guild of Finland and Teatterin Uusi Alkukirjasto (TUA), in cooperation with the Tampere Theatre Festival.
 

More info on organisers:
Writers Guild of Finland
Teatterin Uusi Alkukirjasto (TUA)