Moominland Midwinter

Tove Jansson’s *Moominland Midwinter* is a much-loved story first published in 1957. In it, Moomintroll wakes in the middle of his winter sleep and encounters a new and mysterious season for the first time—a season whose events he has never witnessed before. The rest of the Moomin family is asleep, and familiar landscapes are covered in snow. Alongside Too-Ticky, who lives in the bathing hut, and Little My, who races wildly down the hill, Moomintroll also meets other inhabitants of midwinter: the noisy Hemulen and the ancestor rustling in the corners, the beauty of the Northern Lights, and the dangerous frost. After his winter adventures, Moomintroll finds a new sense of independence and courage—for he is now the first Moomin to have experienced every season. “Scare me as much as you like, he thought delightedly. Now I understand you. You’re no worse than anyone else, once you get to know you.” Tove Jansson’s Moomin story comes to life at Oulu Theatre’s Small Stage through puppetry. The expressive Moomin characters are designed by Helena Markku, and the production is directed by Merja Pöyhönen, both leading figures in contemporary Finnish puppetry. *Moominland Midwinter* for the whole family offers familiar characters, an exciting winter adventure, and the chance to explore entirely new feelings in a playful world of puppetry.