Magic Winter

Tove Jansson’s *Moominland Midwinter* is a beloved story first published in 1957. Moomintroll wakes in the middle of his winter sleep and encounters for the first time a new and mysterious 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 hurtles 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 discovers a new sense of independence and courage—after all, he is now the first Moomin to have experienced all the seasons. “Scare me as much as you like, he thought with delight. Now I’ve got you figured out. You’re no worse than anyone else, once you get to know you.”

Tove Jansson’s Moomin story comes to life through puppetry on the small stage at Oulun teatteri. The expressive Moomin characters are designed by Helena Markku, and the production is directed by Merja Pöyhönen, both leading figures in contemporary Finnish puppetry. *Magic Winter*, for the whole family, offers familiar characters, an exciting winter adventure, and the chance to explore brand-new feelings in a playful world of puppetry.