Faravid’s Land

Faravid’s Land, a performance weaving together theatre, contemporary circus and contemporary dance, is set in Oulu’s legendary Raksila market area, which in its heyday even surpassed Helsinki’s Stockmann in grocery sales. Now, the Eka-market building has reached the end of its useful life and is due to be demolished. In its place, a long-awaited new source of joy and pride will one day rise: an entertainment arena, a centre promising bliss and vitality for all of northern Finland. So, does the source of Oulu’s good fortune lie hidden in Raksila? Is this where it was buried?

Faravid’s Land is a journey from the remnants of the market to ancient Northern Ostrobothnia, and a myth about seekers and keepers of happiness. What is happiness, really? In this dreamlike experience, possible guides include Akka-Queen, who commands old and new spells; Kärppä, a local power animal; or Kaamos itself. The mythological fiction and fascinating creatures of the work’s world meet a market building that has seen better days, where the history of Sale, Alko and flea-market activities also echoes.

Faravid’s Land invites audiences not only to marvel at the skills of 14 actors, dancers and circus artists, but also to cast spells for good fortune, drive away misfortune, say goodbye to the Raksila market and welcome a topsy-turvy entertainment arena before the entertainment arena. Age-old questions and mythical landscapes unfold throughout the emptied building in this immersive performance, where audiences are free to choose their own path towards fulfilment—a pursuit conducted cunningly, conjured mightily and hidden away in shame.

A myth is a story or belief that explains things for which there is no firsthand knowledge or whose truth cannot be proven. Happiness is a wondrous thing, and according to statistics there is a great deal of it in the City of Oulu.

Faravid’s Land is written by Eira Virekoski and directed by Alma Lehmuskallio and Pirjo Yli-Maunula. The production is a co-production by Oulun teatteri and Flow Productions, in collaboration with Oulu2026 and still still (NED).