ESPOO CITY THEATRE
The International Theatre of Finland

Espoo City Theatre is the most international theatre in Finland, thus also known as The International Theatre of Finland. The theatre is situated in Tapiola garden city, about 10 kilometres (6 miles) from Helsinki city centre. The theatre was founded in 1989. 

Guests from all over the world
Espoo City Theatre has from the very beginning invited guests from abroad and all around Finland. Guests at the theatre since 2000 have included e.g.
Mummenschanz, Switzerland; Riksteatern, Sweden; Le Cirque de la Licorne, France; Circus Ronaldo, Belgium; Familie Flöz, Germany; Avner the Eccentric / Avner Eisenberg, USA; Leo Bassi, Spain; The Jaschgawronsky Brothers, Italy; POS-teatret, Norway; Les Cousins, France; Spymonkey, UK; Rude Mechs, USA; Jan Lauwers & Needcompany, Belgium; Compagnie Philippe Genty, France; Theatre Kassys, The Netherlands; Companhia do Chapitô, Portugal; Théâtre des Bouffes du Nord (Peter Brook), France; Tricicle, Spain; Teatrul National Radu Stanca, Romania; Béla Pintér & Company, Hungary.

Coming next!
In the spring 2010 the guests will include e.g. Spymonkey's Moby Dick from the United Kingdom and Hotel Modern's Shrimp Tales from the Netherlands.

About twenty guest productions per year
The annual number of foreign guest productions is currently around 10, making about 50 performances, and the same numbers are approximately true for Finnish guests as well. The total number of performances per year is around 170, and these attract around 30,000 spectators.

Own productions
Apart from guest activity, the theatre produces 2-3 of its own productions each year, contracting artistic staff separately for each one. In recent times it has employed around 120 people over the course of a year. Twelve staff members have permanent contracts, but none of them are artists.

Funding
The theatre receives funding from the Finnish state and Espoo city. The annual budget is about 1.8 million euros, of which the city pays around 55% and the state 20%. The remaining 25% is raised by the theatre itself.

Two auditoriums
The theatre has two auditoriums, both of which hold around 300 spectators. The auditorium in the old printing house (Revontuli Hall) is used for the theatre's own productions, while the other one (Louhi Hall) is situated in Espoo Cultural Centre and is used to stage visiting productions. A brand new theatre building will be built in the next decade, deepening and widening the theatre's scope.