Lúna – The Beauty Show

An offbeat comedy by a successful Icelandic author arrives at the Rakastajat Theatre in Pori! Lúna is a sharp, funny, and deeply human portrayal of the lengths we are willing to go to in order to hold onto what we fear we have already lost.

Shows this autumn 13th Aug –12th Dec | Tickets 35/31/18€

With English subtitles!

"Director Liila Jokelin has got the actors to fully commit—engaging in madcap silliness while also wringing the painful realities of life out of their characters.
-- Tyrfingur Tyrfingsson’s sharp script is rooted in an Icelandic context at times, yet the themes it addresses are universal." - Maarit Anttila, Satakunnan Kansa
"The acting is a pleasure to watch, as is generally the case at the Rakastajat Theatre. Kai Tanner, in particular, shines as Heiðar, a beauty pageant impresario stuck in the past; he is the embodiment of a smooth-talking bon vivant, right down to the smallest expressions and gestures." - Leena Reikko, Kulttuuritoimitus

Info

Ingi and Lúna’s relationship has fallen apart, yet they are spending Christmas Eve together one last time. Unspoken tensions simmer beneath the surface. When Heiðar—a former beauty pageant guru and an enigmatic prisoner of his own past—appears on the scene, the evening takes an irreversible turn.

Heiðar and Ingi strike a deal: Ingi will help Heiðar and his family get to Paris for Christmas. In return, Heiðar must help Lúna and Ingi see something beautiful in each other once more. But what is beauty, really, when life is built half on truth and half on fabrication?

Lúna is a sharp, funny, and deeply human portrait of the lengths to which we will go to hold onto what we fear we have already lost.

Tyrfingur Tyrfingsson is one of the most significant Nordic playwrights of the moment. An internationally acclaimed and award-winning writer, his works have been staged both in Iceland and across Europe.

His body of work is known for its ability to blend absurd humor, brutal honesty, and profound human insight in a way that both entertains and challenges the audience.

*Lúna* continues in this vein: it is a text that skillfully navigates the boundary between offbeat comedy and drama rooted in real life, forcing us to confront the very aspects of ourselves we would rather not see.

The play premiered at the Reykjavik City Theatre in January 2024 and quickly became one of the year’s most talked-about new works; it was nominated for several prestigious Icelandic awards—including Play of the Year—and was selected as one of the most compelling new plays on the international stage.

CREATIVE

Playwright: Tyrfingur Tyrfingsson

Director: Liila Jokelin

Finnish translation: Marjakaisa Matthiasson

Translation dramaturgy: Martta Jylhä

Costume and set design: Lizz Santos

Light and sound design: Toni Randell

Photography: Eeva Meusel

Graphic design: Anna Broholm/Pieni Suuri Idea

CAST

Vilma Sippola

Henri Välikangas

Kai Tanner

Angelika Meusel

Production: Rakastajat-teatteri

Funding for the production of the play has been received from the Finnish Cultural Foundation’s "Maailma näyttämölle" (World to the Stage) grant program.

Performance rights are managed by Nordic Drama Corner.

DATES AND TICKETS

Venue: Kehräämö, Pohjoisranta 11, 28100 Pori

The show will be performed in Finnish. English subtitles are available on the Subtitle mobile app.

Fri 28th Aug 6.00pm*
Sat 29th Aug 1.00pm*

Fri 4th Sep 6.00pm*
Sat 5th Sep 1.00pm*
Fri 11th Sep 6.00pm*
Fri 18th Sep 6.00pm
Sat 19th Sep 1.00pm
Sat 26th Sep 6.00pm

Sat 3rd Oct 1.00pm
Sat 10th Oct 6.00pm
Thu 15th Oct 6.00pm
Fri 16th Oct 6.00pm
Thu 29th Oct 6.00pm
Fri 30th Oct 6.00pm

Thu 5th Nov 6.00pm
Sat 14th Nov 6.00pm
Fri 20th Nov 6.00pm
Sat 21st Nov 1.00pm

Fri 4th Dec 6.00pm
Sat 12th Dec 1.00pm

Tickets 35/31/18€

Duration ca. 2,5h (incl. interval).

Doors open 1h before showtime.

Age recommendation: 15 years and up

* "Pay-what-you-can" tickets are available for these performances. Prices start at €5, based on what you can afford. Reservations via info@rakastajat.fi only. Limited number of tickets available. Applies to new bookings only.