New Plays from Finland
Jonnakaisa Risto
Jonnakaisa Risto (born 1990) is a distinctive actress, screenwriter and artistic director of the Vauriomania collective. She graduated from the Theatre Academy at the University of the Arts with a master's degree in 2018. Risto's multidisciplinary works explore play and class with a grotesque approach.
Risto has performed at the Finnish National Theatre, the Q Theatre, in numerous audio plays and sung in concerts with the legendary Finnish composer Kaj Chydenius. She also performs with and is a mainstay at the Saimaa Theatre, which tours the Finnish Saimaa lake district by boat. Risto has also directed stage productions, including the Veikko Sinisalo Award-winning production Syvällä metsässä (‘Deep in the Forest’) in 2021
The Finnish Critics' Association SARV awarded Risto the 2023 Critics' Pinnacle Award for her performance of Korhonen’s Portrait. A Grotesque, Apocalyptic Dystopia and a Really Great Love Story at the Finnish National Theatre. She was the third actress to receive this award since the early 1960s and the first female actress. Korhonen's Portrait has been translated into English by David Hackston.
Risto is currently working on Vauriomania's latest play, Haavemaa (‘The Land of Dreams’), which will premiere at the Viirus Theatre in Helsinki in 2024.
Selected plays
