JOHNNY GOT HIS GUN
SOTILASPOIKA
EDINburgh fringe 2022
Zoo Southside Studio 20:40
5.-28.Aug (except Mondays)
PERFORMANCE BY
ESSI ROSSI
PAULI RIIKONEN
JOHANNES HOLOPAINEN
Monologue performance based on Dalton Trumbo's iconic anti-war novel. 19-year-old Joe Bonham wakes up in a hospital after an explosion in WW1. Joe discovers he has lost his hands, legs, eyes, ears, and mouth. All that is left is a torso — a living dead. He seeks desperately for a connection to the outside world filled with war and shares his tragic story with the audience, who makes an emotionally gripping journey through the 20th century. Joe fought for freedom and the growth of western society and lost everything. Now he questions what he was taught to dream of.
Grand Prix -winner
MONOMAFFIA
International Monologue Festival
"A beautiful and powerful piece of theatre that leaves you as breathless and stunned as you could possibly want."
"Johannes Holopainen’s performance shows a near mercurial physicality that far outreaches the constraints of his body.
It’s a painful, sometimes uncomfortably comic and strangely hopeful ponderance on the horrors of war and conflict and the endurance of the human soul over unimaginable pain and tragedy."
"The show emerges both as Trumbo originally intended – as a portrait of a horrific, humiliating fate and a scathing anti-war screed – and as a startling piece of theatre."
"enthralling, entertaining and very emotional."
"Holopainen is mesmerising throughout, his energy shifting from reflection to patriotic fervour to blistering rage. He captures the innocent idealism of this young man, and the wisdom he gains at such a great personal cost. He pleads with us to hear his story, and to learn from the mistakes of the past."
“Johnny Got His Gun is a brilliant masterpiece which everyone has to see.”
-Etelä-Saimaa
“Johannes Holopainen makes the audience eat from his hands...
This might be the most powerful theatre experience in my life”
-Paljon melua teatterista blog
“Holopainen's presence is huge. He's nailing the audience to their seats with small tricks, but even without the physical contact he's on our skin all the time”
-Demokraatti Magazine
about
Director Essi Rossi tells about
Johnny Got His Gun.
Johnny Got His Gun has toured sold-out venues and has been awarded in festivals in Finland and Estonia. 2019 Johnny Got His Gun became a part of From Start To Finnish showcase and plays at the Edinburgh Fringe 2022.
company
ESSI ROSSI
Essi Rossi is a Finnish theatre director who lives in Helsinki and works variously with theatre and live arts. Her works are more or less tied to the question of change in the era of mass destruction and desires. She is drived by candid ways of working with these themes.
Other than Johnny Got His Gun, Rossi’s most important works are Leena Krohn's Tainaron: transmissions from the posthuman world of insects (Helsinki Festival and National theatre 2018), Vladimir Sorokin's ICE: about the structures of fascism in the form of a cult-meeting (Klockriketeatern and Von Krahl, Estonia 2018), and NIGHTSCHOOL: an overnight journey to an unknown destination and guided tour through different levels of darkness (Baltic circle festival 2021).
Rossi’s latest work, Ejaculation Falls, is a celebration of sexual diversity, where six local experience experts gather for a picnic to talk about their experiences with sex, sexuality, gender and desires (Baltic circle festival Helsinki 2021, SICK!-festival Manchester 2022).
PAULI RIIKONEN
Pauli Riikonen is a Helsinki based sound designer and composer who works extensively in theater, dance, circus, performance and music. The works designed by him have been presented in Finland and widely around Europe, e.g. The UK, Germany, Estonia and Belgium.
Riikonen's stage aesthetics focuses on sound masses created by overlapping textures. He creates sound-spaces that can be not only heard, but also felt in the body. His musical interest directs towards loops, sampling and stretching the boundaries. Recently, his work has focused on performances that deal with change and hope.
In addition to stage works, Riikonen has made radio plays, sound art works, sound design for visual art works and produces electronic music under the name Fluid Armstrong.
JOHANNES HOLOPAINEN
Johannes Holopainen is a Finnish actor with a diverse career encompassing theater, film, and television. Helsinki-born Holopainen studied acting at the University of Arts with an MA in Theater Arts. Holopainen has performed in leading drama, comedy, and musical theater roles around Helsinki, including The National Theater and KOM-Theater. The monologue Johnny Got His Gun landed him the Grand Prix at Pärnu International Theatre Festival in 2016. Same company's new monologue performance, The Moustache, runs in Helsinki in fall 2022.
Johannes Holopainen played the lead in Unknown Soldier (dir. Aku Louhimies), the highest-grossing film ever in Finland. His other film and television work include Heavy Trip, All the Sins, Cargo, and J-P Valkeapää's next film, Hit Big. Holopainen is a Berlinale Talents Alumni from 2021.
During his career, Holopainen has received numerous nominations, and his works are widely awarded and acclaimed by the public and the press.
history
2020
EDINBURGH FRINGE
Shows in Fringe cancelled
Edinburg Fringe cancelled due to the Corona virus pandemic.
2022
EDINBURGH FRINGE
Johnny goes to the 75th annual Edinburgh Fringe
Johnny Got His Gun plays for the full run 3.-28. Aug at Zoo Southside Studio 20:40 (except Mondays).
2020
FROM START TO FINISH
Johnny Got His Gun is selected to From Start To Finnish showcase.
2019
PERFORMING HEL
"Johnny" is part of the Performing HEL Showcase!
Johnny Got His Gun is selected to be part of the showcase held in September 2019 in Helsinki. The demo of the show is a success!
2016
KOM-THEATRE
Five sold out performances in Helsinki
Johnny Got His Gun was performed five times in the legendary KOM-Theatre of Helsinki.
2016
FINNISH NATIONAL THEATRE
First performances in Helsinki
In January Johnny Got His Gun visited The Finnish National Theatre for two sold out performances.
2015
LAPPEENRANTA
CITY THEATRE
Premiere
Johnny Got His Gun premiered in spring 2015 and gained wide attention within audience and press.
2017
STOA
National Veteran Day April 27th
Johnny Got His Gun in Stoa in Helsinki arose conversation between veterans and peace keepers.
2016
MONOMAFFIA
PÄRNU INTERNATIONAL
THEATRE FESTIVAL
Grand Prix
In August Johnny Got His Gun was invited in Monomaffia among other celebrated international acts and received the Grand Prix from the festival jury.
2015
PORI LAINSUOJATTOMAT FESTIVAL
First Festial visit in autumn
Johnny Got His Gun was invited in Pori Lainsuojattomat Theatre festival and blasted off a full house of audience.
2015
REHEARSALS BEGIN
Essi, Pauli and Johannes begin rehearsing in Helsinki with the book in hand and techno music playing.
2000
ESSI DISCOVERS THE NOVEL
Teen aged Essi founds the novel Johnny Got His Gun from her parents book shelve. She reads it through and decides she's going to stage it one day.
contact
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