June brings the opening of an exhibition on the theatrical history of Tampere, rich with emotion, struggles and great stories. With this exhibition, Vapriikki brings back selected scenes played out on the stages of our city’s numerous theatres. The spotlight is on the play – from Hamlet to West Side Story – and on famous thespians, among them the divas of their day.

Tampere’s dynamic theatre culture has been built by brilliant professionals loved by the entire nation. Thanks to their tenacity and talent, the theatrical arts have been cultivated in Tampere through good times and bad. Charismatic personalities such as Tilda Vuori, Eino Salmelainen and Sylvi Salonen have left their inimitable marks on the history of our theatre-rich city. In addition, Tampere has had an important role in the training of Finland’s theatrical talent for many decades.

The exhibition presents plenty of theatre photographs from the archives of Tampere’s museums. Also, photographs and objects are on loan from Tampere theatres and the Theatre Museum in Helsinki, along with Finnish Labour Museum Werstas, in Tampere. The objects on display, such as theatrical costumes, sketches for them, and miniature sets, bring theatre to life and make visible the work that goes on behind the stage.