World premiere March 4th 2026
But Gunilla, some things you simply just don’t say
Swedish Asshole - a delusion about immunity, whiteness and the need of belonging. A landscape in which the cultural identity of Swedish speaking Finns as a liminal space rules; caught somewhere between east and west, the Finnish and the Swedish.
Three shapeshifting antagonists with both inferiority complexes and delusions of grandeur and their struggle to win, be seen and heard the most. A sweetly singing quartet, whose heartbreaking harmonies are rising up into the skies.
Swedish Asshole is a character. Swedish asshole is a mindset. Swedish asshole is an artistic practice with the motto "art is easy, anything can be art" and vouching for artistic freedom.
Concept, artistic idea and facilitation: Johanna Karlberg
Directing, choreography and on stage: Antonia Atarah, Johanna Karlberg and Alen Nsambu
Sound design: Nicolas Leissi Rehn
Choir: Akademiska Sångföreningen
Light design: Kristian Palmu
Spatial design: Mikko Salminen
Costume design: Mirjam Yeboah
Dramaturgy: Even Minn
Production: Johanna Karlberg
Picture: Marthe Nyvoll
Language: Swedish, English, Scandinavian
Age recommendation: +15 years
Content information: Blinking lights, nudity, bodily fluids
Duration: 90 minutes
Sponsors: Kone Foundation, Arts Promotion Center Finland, Svenska Kulturfonden, Konstsamfundet
Residencies: Davvi - Senter for scenekunst, Hammerfest (Svenska Kulturfonden, Finsk-Norsk Kulturinstitutt) , Kanuti Gildi SAAL, Tallinn (Suomen Kulttuurirahasto)
More information: https://www.viirus.fi/en/shows/swedish-asshole
Teater Viirus • Välimerenkatu 14, 00220 Helsinki, Uusimaa, Finland