On December 14, 2020, Russian opposition politician Aleksei Navalnyi, recently recovered from a near-fatal poisoning, calls an FSB agent early in the morning. Navalnyi masquerades as another agent and gains detailed confirmation of his poisoning. On January 2, 2021, US President Donald Trump calls the Secretary of State of Georgia and pressures him to find 11,780 votes so that Trump can still win the presidential election.  

Two Phone Calls presents these two calls on stage, showing the reality of deception and power in our world today. The performance (by two female actors) displays the interplay of tragedy and truth, comedy of incompetence and corruption….and it’s all in the protagonists’ own words.

The spoken text of Two Phone Calls is based solely on the contents of the two calls. Despite this, the performance is not a documentary. It presents a larger picture of the time we live in, highlighting in a raw and naked way the methods by which a person can be seduced, manipulated and pressured by power. And how one can resist, unwavering. Two different phone calls: at stake in both, the truth and the future. 


Two Phone Calls is a commission by Helsinki Festival - the largest annual arts festival in the Nordics. It was originally scheduled to be performed in August but had to be cancelled following a last-minute decision by the authorities.

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Fri 1.9.2023 20:00
Sat 2.9.2023 20:00
Sun 3.9.2023 13:00

Duration: 60 min

Kalliosali, Pengerkatu 11, Helsinki
A valid Covid passport is required for entry.


Director and dramaturgy:
Tuomo Rämö

Actors:
Outi Condit and Iida-Maria Lindstedt

Lighting and video design:
Ville MJ Hyvönen

Sound design:
Ilkka Tolonen

Original concept and inspiration:
Esther Dyson

Artistic Director, Helsinki Festival:
Marko Ahtisaari