Louhi

(c) Siri Kerola

 

Louhi is the story of a woman who built a world from cold and will and the refusal to be small, who loved fiercely, ruled bravely, and was remembered only as a threat. Rooted in the songs of the Kalevala, this two-act play gives the Witch-Queen of Pohjola something the stories never did: her own voice, her own reasons, and the full weight of her story.

Louhi has always been the villain of someone else's story. This play is not interested in rehabilitating her or making her likeable. It is interested in understanding her, in looking at a woman the Kalevala wrote as a threat and asking, through a Jungian lens, what she might have been living through. What she wanted. What she lost.

Louhi is written and directed by Derin Ergönül, a first-time scriptwriter and director whose work is rooted in atmosphere and emotion. She studied directing and acting in Mérida, where her first production took place and has since performed in a theatre production in Oulu as part of a collaborative international environment. Her work is shaped by a genuine interest in performance, music, and storytelling. With a talented multicultural cast and crew, Louhi offers a fresh perspective to the characters from the Finnish national epic.

 

Premiere on Wednesday 3 June 2026 at 5:30 pm at Valvenäyttämö stage, 2nd floor of Cultural Centre Valve.

Other performances: Fri 5 June at 5:30 pm / Sat 6 June at 5:30 pm / Sun 7 June at 3 pm / Tue 9 June at 5:30 pm / Wed 10 June at 5:30 pm / Fri 12 June at 5:30 pm / Sat 13 June at 5:30 pm / Sun 14 June at 3 pm / Tue 16 June at 5:30 pm / Wed 17 June at 5:30 pm. All performances at Valvenäyttämö stage.

Duration: approx. 2h 30 min, including intermission.

Age recommendation: 15+

The play is performed fully in English. Please note that flashing lights are used in the performances.

You can find the Cultural Centre Valve accessibility information here.

 

Tickets 20/15 €

Tickets can be purchased from the Valve Ticket Office (Hallituskatu 7). Please check the opening hours of the Valve Ticket Office here. NB! Reserved tickets must be collected at minimum one day before the show.

Discount tickets are for students, unemployed, pensioners and Finnish conscripts. Kaikukortti tickets available (limited availability).

Tickets can also be purchased from Ticketmaster.

 

 

Script and directing
Derin Ergönül

Producers
Owais Akhtar
Huy Nguyen

Production/OYT
Salla Väinämö

Board representative
Miska Myllylä

Stage Manager
Alireza Lavasani

Set design
Derin Ergönül

Costuming
OLU OLALEYE
Milla Mikkola
Emilia Siponen

Props
Runo Halonen
Shah Saud
Sam Zakharov
Artemii Vorobev
Bach Nguyen

Lights
Ether Stardust

Sound
Haseeb Mahmood

Music
Jenna Vanha

Choreography
Annika Heikkinen

Sword choreography
Jessy-Ross Berge

Make up and hair
Sania KhanTareen

Graphics
Siri Kerola
Alina Martin

Photography
Siri Kerola

Cast
Anna Novokreshchenova – Louhi
San Luu – Sotka
Zeynep Eren – Suvi
Alen Thomas – Tervo
Tornado Höyhtyä – Hiisi
Sam Zakharov – Lemminkäinen
Matilda Paakinaho – The Woman
Sohneel Mandpe – The Wolf
Artemii Vorobev – Varjo
Filmy Jiang – Kalma
Tran Bao Ho – Kalma
 

 

In collaboration with