P arviainen's and Kirkkopelto's careers as directors and playwrights reflect the Finnish theatre of the past decade, in which the significance of the word is still dominant, although reinforced with a new, more physical element. T he links between playwrights and the theatre have become tighter, partly as a result of the teaching at the Theatre Academy of Finland. Young writers work in close cooperation with the theatres. T he radicals of the 1960s were concerned about children, too, and sought to give them something more than the traditional Christmas-holiday plays. The interest of young directors such as Otso Kautto and Leena Havukainen in children's plays has reinforced this mode of theatrical expression.
Finnish summer abounds with cultural events, including outdoor theatre performances.
Neither rain nor mosquitoes can keep audiences away from the many outdoor theatres, and the occasional attempts to transfer productions indoors have failed dismally. Until recently, repertoires have been dominated by folk plays and comedies. In the summer theatres the line between amateur and professional actors is unclear and projects often have a local flavour. Based on his novel of the same name, it portrays the lives of ordinaty frontline soldiers in the war against the Soviet Union, 1941-44. This theatre has been consistently ambitious, mounting productions of both world classics and successful Finnish plays.