Kristian Smeds
Encyclopedia
Kristian Smeds is a Finnish playwright and theatre director. Kristian Smeds has worked in Finland
, Estonia
, Belgium
and Lithuania
and is preparing several major productions around Europe.
His plays are wild, energetic, and filled with many distinctive voices. They can be interpreted in many different ways, and can take full advantage of a wide variety of theatrical techniques. His language is rich and colorful, but at the same time natural. In Smeds world, the personal and the political are indistinguishable, and his work is characterized by a deep concern for human beings.
In the autumn of 2007, he dramatized and directed an explosive production of Väinö Linna
s "The Unknown Soldier
" at the Finnish National Theatre
. This re-interpretation of a cherished Finnish novel has been the most controversial theatrical event in Finland, provoking wide acclaim as well as fierce debate. Smeds stage version was a great success. During 2007-2009 it was performed 122 times with 73265 tickets sold.
In 2007, Smeds established his own theatre group, Smeds Ensemble, which has partners around Europe. Smeds Ensemble had its first production, Mental Finland, premiered at the Royal Flemish Theatre (KVS) in February 2009. During the same year, the production toured in Finland, Lithuania, France and Austria. Smeds' most recent production at the Finnish National Theatre is an adaptation of Paul Auster's novel Mr Vertigo.
in 2011 Kristian Smeds got awarded with XII European Theatre Prize for New Theatrical Realities as a first Scandinavian theatre director.
Finland
Finland , officially the Republic of Finland, is a Nordic country situated in the Fennoscandian region of Northern Europe. It is bordered by Sweden in the west, Norway in the north and Russia in the east, while Estonia lies to its south across the Gulf of Finland.Around 5.4 million people reside...
, Estonia
Estonia
Estonia , officially the Republic of Estonia , is a state in the Baltic region of Northern Europe. It is bordered to the north by the Gulf of Finland, to the west by the Baltic Sea, to the south by Latvia , and to the east by Lake Peipsi and the Russian Federation . Across the Baltic Sea lies...
, Belgium
Belgium
Belgium , officially the Kingdom of Belgium, is a federal state in Western Europe. It is a founding member of the European Union and hosts the EU's headquarters, and those of several other major international organisations such as NATO.Belgium is also a member of, or affiliated to, many...
and Lithuania
Lithuania
Lithuania , officially the Republic of Lithuania is a country in Northern Europe, the biggest of the three Baltic states. It is situated along the southeastern shore of the Baltic Sea, whereby to the west lie Sweden and Denmark...
and is preparing several major productions around Europe.
His plays are wild, energetic, and filled with many distinctive voices. They can be interpreted in many different ways, and can take full advantage of a wide variety of theatrical techniques. His language is rich and colorful, but at the same time natural. In Smeds world, the personal and the political are indistinguishable, and his work is characterized by a deep concern for human beings.
In the autumn of 2007, he dramatized and directed an explosive production of Väinö Linna
Väinö Linna
Väinö Linna was one of the most influential Finnish authors of the 20th century. He shot to immediate literary fame with his third novel, Tuntematon sotilas , and consolidated his position with the trilogy Täällä Pohjantähden alla Väinö Linna (20 December 1920 – 21 April 1992) was one of the...
s "The Unknown Soldier
The Unknown Soldier (novel)
The Unknown Soldier is author Väinö Linna's first major novel and his other major work besides Under the North Star. Published in 1954, it is a story about the Continuation War between Finland and the Soviet Union as told from the viewpoint of ordinary Finnish soldiers...
" at the Finnish National Theatre
Finnish National Theatre
The Finnish National Theatre , founded in 1872 in the city of Pori, is located in central Helsinki on the northern side of the Helsinki Central Railway Station Square. It is the world's oldest theatre with performances in Finnish...
. This re-interpretation of a cherished Finnish novel has been the most controversial theatrical event in Finland, provoking wide acclaim as well as fierce debate. Smeds stage version was a great success. During 2007-2009 it was performed 122 times with 73265 tickets sold.
In 2007, Smeds established his own theatre group, Smeds Ensemble, which has partners around Europe. Smeds Ensemble had its first production, Mental Finland, premiered at the Royal Flemish Theatre (KVS) in February 2009. During the same year, the production toured in Finland, Lithuania, France and Austria. Smeds' most recent production at the Finnish National Theatre is an adaptation of Paul Auster's novel Mr Vertigo.
in 2011 Kristian Smeds got awarded with XII European Theatre Prize for New Theatrical Realities as a first Scandinavian theatre director.