GUEST: Pleasure

Oblivia

A multi-layered music theatre performance on the nature of pleasure

Everyone seeks it, we all long for it, and entire societies have been built around it: Oblivia, in collaboration with two musicians, set out on a playful and associative exploration of pleasure through movement, language, sound, and vocalisations.

Pleasure invites the audience for an evening encompassing different aspects of pleasure, employing songs somewhere between punk rock and musical as well as sounds produced by the body and electronica. Life’s unique moments, intense sensory impressions, and a feeling of well-being are highlighted in this multi-layered music theatre event that explores our life-long search for pleasure.

Pleasure is the third and final instalment in the series Emotions and Politics, in which Oblivia traces the multilayered state of emotional conditions and their personal as well as political implications over three music theatre productions. Pleasure premiered in February 2023 in Stuttgart, Germany.

“Choreographed action and live sound events are precisely attuned to each other, the performers’ movement language characterised by minimalism as well as humour.” – Harry Schmidt, Ludwigsburger Kreiszeitung

For more than twenty years, Oblivia has been creating performances out of movement, dance, language, sound, light, and gesture. Known for their minimalist approach to existential topics that define humanity, Oblivia’s works are playful yet poignant, creating cosmoses out of fragments and worlds out of words on a bare stage.

Artist discussion on Monday, 11 December at 6 pm at Viirus. The discussion is moderated by Sofia Nyberg and organised in collaboration with Kritikbyrån. Free entry!

Concept & devising Oblivia working group

Performers Timo Fredriksson, Annika Tudeer, Juha Valkeapää
Guitarist Thilo Ruck
Mezzo-soprano Gabriele Lesch
Composer, electronic live music Yiran Zhao

Outside eye Alice Ferl
Light design Meri Ekola & Stine Hertel
Costume design Tua Helve

Communications Essi Brunberg
Communications Agency RÖD / Katja Tolonen & Jenni Salminen
Production manager Jenny Nordlund
Co-producers Theater Rampe, Stuttgart (DE), ARGEkultur Salzburg (AT), Schwankhalle Bremen (DE)

Language English
Duration 70 min.
Age recommendation 14+
Content warning Intense light effects and loud and/or sudden noise/music

Tickets 25 / 20 / 15 €

Supporters Arts Promotion Centre Finland, City of Helsinki, the Swedish Cultural Foundation in Finland, Konstsamfundet, Stiftelsen Tre Smeder, Uudet klassikot – Nya klassiker and Goethe-Institut Finnland.