A panel discussion at Sanoma House
The power of black humour in the opera Festen
A free panel discussion about the upcoming opera
The opera sensation Festen, which premieres at the Finnish National Opera on 27 March 2026, is a tragedy infused with black humour. It tells the story of a family whose dark secret comes to light during a birthday celebration.
You are warmly invited to attend a panel discussion on the creation process and themes of Festen at the Media Piazza in Sanoma House on Thursday 26 March from 5.30 pm to 6.30 pm. The event will be held in English and is free to attend. The discussion explores what it means to create an opera based on a film, why laughing at horrifying subjects can be good for us, and why British humour is so popular in Finland. The event also features musical excerpts from the opera.
The panel features Artistic Director of the Finnish National Opera Thomas de Mallet Burgess, along with the creators of Festen, librettist Lee Hall and composer Mark-Anthony Turnage, and anthropologist Marianna Keisalo. The English-language discussion is moderated by Sami Sykkö. Members of the audience will also have the opportunity to pose questions to the panellists.
The music is performed by mezzosopranos Clare Presland and Susan Bickley, both members of the opera cast, with Tuomas Juutilainen at the piano.
The free event takes place at Sanoma House (Töölönlahdenkatu 2, 00100 Helsinki).
