Sinisalo’s Troll Love Story to Premiere in Tampere, Transfer to Lahti

Tampereen Teatteri and Lahti City Theatre said in a press release that they will premiere a stage adaptation of Johanna Sinisalo’s Finlandia-winning debut novel Ennen päivänlaskua ei voi, adapted and directed by Mikko Roiha. The first performance is set for 28 January 2027 at Tampereen Teatteri’s Frenckell stage, with a Lahti run opening on 23 September 2027.

The production brings Sinisalo’s urban tale to the stage as a compact drama that blends science fiction and queer themes. The plot follows Mikael, who falls in love with a troll and hides the creature in his home, with fatal consequences. The play examines the human relationship with nature, possessiveness and unconventional forms of love; Roiha calls it part thriller, part catastrophe, and says that in many respects the novel, published in 2000, has become a reality we are living in.

Casting includes Arttu Soilumo, Veeti Vekola and Jari-Pekka Rautiainen. Roiha is credited with the dramatisation, direction and set design; Jaana Kurttila handles costumes, Raimo Salmi lighting, Tatu Virtamo sound and Anu Reijonen makeup. The staging aims for an intense atmosphere that foregrounds the story’s emotional and ecological tensions.

Sinisalo said the novel has "endured surprisingly well," noting that translation rights continue to sell into new countries and that a corrected English edition was recently published. She called it a dream to see both her hometown theatre in Tampere and Lahti’s professional company include the work on their seasons, and she supports Roiha as the right director for the piece.

The two theatres have pooled resources for a season-spanning run that begins in Tampere and transfers to Lahti in the autumn, presenting the production as a contemporary reinterpretation rather than a faithful period piece to emphasise present-day resonances of Sinisalo’s themes.

Roiha recently directed a Väylä adaptation earlier this season in Nurmes, and Tampereen Teatteri has been using its Frenckell stage to host visiting productions this autumn including Väylä.