Can you see us working together?
A group of young people come together one evening on a stage before an audience, to test how to be together.
They measure the differences and spaces between themselves through discussions and movement. They test different ways of being together. They try constructing and dismantling utopias, dystopias, their attitudes, cities, towers, temples, futures.
Is being together important? What does it require? Do they want it? If they find it, is it what they thought it would be?
The performance is in Finnish, English, Somali, Bengali, Arabic, Turkish and Dari. The performance surtitles appear onstage in Finnish and English.
"I do what I want, I wear what I want, and you won’t sleep in my grave"
Premiere at the National Thestre of Finland 14th of October 2026.
Production Team
Cast Ridwan Ahmed, Maria Akter, Sabrina Ali, Maryam Barbery, Juho Hagan, Iiris Linna, Tilma Lucenius, Yusra Mohali, Iftah Mohamed, Arvand Rasul, Ada Safdari and Kaneli Samola
Concept and direction Tamara Searle Concept and performers Members of the National Youth Theatre Concept and dramaturgy Ville Vuorikoski Videography and Sound design Olli Valkola Lighting Design Miika Suomalainen Producer Roosa Vaverka
REVIEWS
‘Twelve young people fill the Small Stage—relaxed, and completely at ease. Arranging the white, brick-sized rectangular blocks becomes a collaborative task that feels like play—a shared activity. Amidst this, the participants chat, sharing their thoughts with one another. The conversation flows naturally from one topic to the next—just as it does when people are together—without any forced, theatrical posturing’.
‘The performance invites the audience in—even through languages I do not know. This invitation is directed specifically at those whose native language is foreign to the rest of us. This inverted gesture of invitation was immensely valuable. As someone who considers themselves linguistically proficient, I found myself having to listen closely and reflect upon my own position. For me, the most significant aspect of the performance was the way it staged and brought to the forefront the multilingual reality of these young people, as well as their linguistic awareness’.
hannahelavuori.com