Stages of Chaos

The plays included in this anthology emerged from Finland's post-war generation. All the plays occupy a chaotic landscape where young men have died suddenly in massive numbers, family structures have been undermined, with many losing their homes, and national and spiritual values have lost their appeal. In this post-Nietzschean world of godless and mindless destruction, the Finnish playwrights weave humour amidst tragedy, depicting characters struggling to survive intact. The plays in this anthology emphasise the arbitrariness of existence: the absurd experiences in life and the human tragedy of warfare that confound the attempt to find meaning and purpose.