New Plays from Finland

Juha Hippi (born 1975) is an actor, director, and dramatist. He has worked professionally in both theatre and television, as well as on the big screen after graduating from the film acting course at Helsinki Polytechnic Stadia in 2004. At the Uneton48 (Sleepless48) film competition he received the Best Actor award in 2008 and the Best Film award in 2014. He also won first place at the Pieksämäki Monologue Competition in 2011 and at the Air Guitar World Championships in 1998. 

 

Hippi starred in, co-wrote, and co-directed Finland’s (stage) monologue of the year in 2011 named Tippa (Last Call), which deals with the role alcohol plays in one’s personal life as well as the national psyche, and what happens when it is removed from the equation. An English version of the monologue play was invited to the Edinburgh Fringe Festival in 2014.  

 

Hippi has worked as an actor in several free theatre group productions. He has toured both Finland and Russia when working on summer theatre productions, studied acting as a post-graduate in Los Angeles, and has acted in international collaborations in countries such as Bulgaria and Estonia. Hippi is also a founding member of the Häpeämättömät (Shameless) Improvisation Theatre Company and President of the Teatro Labora association.