ILONA

It is a need, a validation, how do I reach it before it evaporates.

The same situations, the same feelings, only the person changes.

The idol's song echoes in an empty hall. The teacher's course content slides from ancient mythology to a painfully longed-for ex. The star asks my name, but I can only spew praise. Her smile vanishes. Anyone can become invisible.

ILONA explores through immersive theatre one-sided human relationships, the feeling of invisibility, and admiration and being the object of admiration. Light and sound design draw the viewer into a cinematic world where the boundary between reality and dream blurs. The viewer follows events from within the scenes, making each visit a unique experience.

The working group consists of graduates from Tampereen Ylioppilasteatteri and TAMK's music theatre programme (in alphabetical order):

Juhana Lehtiniemi - director, actor, light designer
Juhana holds a master's degree in film music and has trained as a director at the University of the Arts' open university in directing, immersive and game performance. He is currently working on his third musical.

Kamilla Mäntynen - director, actor
Kamilla wrote and directed her debut play Siipikarjaa for Tampereen Ylioppilasteatteri in spring 2026.

Jemina Vallius - actor, singer
Jemina is an actor based in Tampere who is currently studying music theatre at Tampere University of Applied Sciences.

Ella Vähäpassi - actor, singer, light designer
Ella is a freelance actor and musician who graduated from Tampere University of Applied Sciences. She tours and works both as a performer and behind the scenes, and is currently writing, among other things, a musical about the Great Fire of Turku.