Finnish play explores young Eino Leino’s frenetic life in 1905

A new comedy about the prolific Finnish poet Eino Leino, written by Finlandia Prize-winning author Juha Hurme, premieres at Kajaani City Theatre on Saturday, depicting a single turbulent afternoon in 1905 when the 27-year-old writer produced some of his most famous works.

The play, Eino – A Poet’s Year of Overload, is a co-production between the theatre and the Vaara collective. It centres on Leino’s extraordinary productivity during the 1905 general strike, a year in which he published five plays, a poetry collection, a prose work, and over a hundred newspaper articles—all while his personal life unravelled amid marital strain and romantic entanglements.

Hurme describes Leino as an extreme creative force, a “superstar” who lived solely through his writing. “He was the wildest guy around, a celebrity who burned out at lightning speed,” Hurme says. “Twenty years, 70 works, thousands of letters, hundreds of articles—unmatched output.”

The comedy unfolds in Leino’s home, where he shares lunch with his wife, translator Freya Schoultz, and close friend, poet L. Onerva (played by Karoliina Kuvaja). During the meal, Leino drafts Nocturne, Finland’s most famous poem, along with other texts. While the play hints at Leino’s later romantic involvement with Onerva, their relationship here remains intellectual. “It’s more about meeting through literature and culture,” Kuvaja explains.

Though Leino’s life ended tragically, Hurme chose comedy as the genre. “It’s how I process the world, even sad fates,” he says. The play also celebrates youthful passion for reading: “Back then, literacy was the sexiest thing ever—parents worried their kids read too much.”

Sami Sainio, who plays Leino, pushed for the project four years ago, insisting Hurme write the script. “Sami cast himself, and he’s perfect—Leino was bear-like, round-headed, a big guy. So is Sami,” Hurme notes. For Sainio, Leino holds personal significance; he has performed the poet’s works on Oulu Lake cruises.

Hurme emphasizes the play’s broader message: Finland gained independence through culture, not arms. “Leino and Onerva were key intellectuals who elevated national consciousness to the level needed for self-rule,” he says. Kuvaja adds that the production offers a fresh, affectionate take on Leino, despite his obsessive work ethic.

The play’s development reflects Hurme’s own history with Kajaani Theatre, where he refined his collaborative writing method after his father’s death in the 1990s. “I invented the approach in Kajaani under pressure,” he recalls. “I told the director I needed to grieve, but I’d come and see what emerged.”

Hurme, who considers Kajaani Theatre Finland’s most significant, plans to return to direct two of Leino’s own plays, Pentti Pääkkönen and Meiram. “Leino wrote 20 plays—five are solid gold, yet none are staged,” he laments.