Funny bones from Finland

Text: Heidi Backström, translation: Claire Ruaro. The article was originally published in Finnish Circus & Dance in Focus magazine 2026.

Director Aki Kaurismäki’s films are often flagged as a good example of this unique concept that is Finnish humour. Minimalistic, laconic, everyday – the kind of things that might not make you laugh out loud, but that prompt a buzz of recognition inside and perhaps a wry smile. Comedy is an integral part of circus, so we sat down with two Finnish circus groups, Kallo Collective and Kate & Pasi, for whom humour is an intrinsic part of what they do. Where does Finnish humour come from? Or perhaps it’s more universal than we might think?

Finnish audiences as a litmus test

Kallo Collective’s Jenni Kallo and Henni Kervinen and Kate & Pasi’s Katerina Repponen and Pasi Nousiainen are unanimous in their belief that Finnish audiences make for ideal sounding boards. “If something works in Finland, it’ll work anywhere!” proclaims Jenni Kallo. For this reason, Kallo Collective aim to always hold their premieres in Finland, as a kind of litmus test. 

“Thankfully you can really feel from the stage whether the audience are enjoying it, even if they’re not laughing out loud the whole time. In Finland, you know that you’ve got a hit on your hands when you can see shoulders bobbing up and down in the darkness,” continues Henni Kervinen from Kallo Collective. “The happiest nation in the world – we just don’t show it on the outside,” laughs Pasi Nousiainen, and perhaps he has hit the nail on the head there.

Jenni Kallo was introduced to clowning at Hurjaruuth Dance Theatre in Helsinki, in the early 2000s. After first studying circus in Finland, Kallo graduated from École internationale de théâtre Jacques Lecoq in Paris, in 2008. In Paris, she lived in the same flat with Sampo Kurppa and Thom Monckton, a physical theatre artist from New Zealand. From this trio emerged one of Finland’s best-known and most active physical theatre and contemporary circus companies – Kallo Collective. Nowadays, the collective is headed up by the artistic troika of Jenni Kallo, Sampo Kurppa and Henni Kervinen.

Whatever we tried, comedy was inescapable

Katerina Repponen and Pasi Nousiainen have been performing together under the Kate & Pasi moniker since 2010. Over the course of 15 years, the award-winning duo have toured 26 countries with their comedic partner acrobatics, performing in all kinds of spaces and situations, from streets to theatres and corporate events to circus tents.

Comedy came to the pair by chance: “Originally, our aim was actually to go to Germany and do a traditional romantic partner acrobatics routine. But what can I say, whatever we tried, comedy was inescapable.”

Jenni Kallo’s experience was similar. Despite trying to make more serious art when she was younger, it never took long for things to take a comedic turn. “You can’t get away from the funny bones,” says Kallo of the innate gift for comedy. 

Recipe for comedy

According to Jenni Kallo, the comedy stems from the performer’s desire to get the audience laughing – and, above all, from rhythm. Audience understanding and recognition is another key element: “We know how certain things should go, but with a clown on stage things go differently, something always goes awry.” 

We know how certain things should go, but with a clown on stage things go differently

Pasi Nousiainen highlights that stunts bring their own challenges when making comedy in acrobatics. “A stunt might not always work, but you still have to keep up the rhythm and that relationship with the audience for the rest of the piece.”

“In performance situations, you have to make it clear to the viewers right from the start that they are allowed to laugh and react,” Kallo emphasises. This is particularly important for those who do not wear a red nose – the generally recognised sign that laughter is not only allowed, but encouraged.

For Pasi Nousiainen and Katerina Repponen, listening to the other performer is a key part of their recipe for comedy. “It allows you to incorporate an element of surprise and spontaneity into the performance. As a duo, when we’re performing we keep bouncing off of each other, so to speak – the aim is to get the other to laugh. And the audience can see that too.”

Jenni Kallo adds that comedy requires the creators to really delve into and explore the topic and find the right rhythm during practices and rehearsals. “By the time you get to the performance, it all needs to be practised and polished if you want the comedy to work. That said, you also need to allow space to respond to changes on stage and the audience’s reactions,” Kallo points out. “Or lack thereof.”

Something to laugh about

“The audience both laughing and crying is a sign of a good performance. It’s a confirmation that you’re going beyond just being funny,” states Jenni Kallo, describing the audience reactions to her hit character, granny clown Olga. 

Comedy that hits the spot can centre around topics that are considered difficult to tackle, but that people can identify with – such as ageing and loneliness. Jenni Kallo’s Olga came to life at Hurjaruuth’s Winter Circus Nauru in 2004 and the character lived on for years. In the true spirit of circus, traditions passed down from one generation to the next: Kallo’s granny clown Olga gave rise to Henni Kervinen’s clown Helga. 

Married collaborators Nousiainen and Repponen sourced their brand of humour from their relationship and their own contrasts: man and woman, big and small, soft and tough. These elements gave rise to Kate & Pasi’s popular touring pieces, such as Suhde (2014), and their latest work, Culinary Chaos (2025), a family-friendly piece that takes place in a kitchen.

The absurdness of familiar situations was also a source of inspiration for Kallo Collective’s touring pieces The Mews (2025), Receptionists (2019) and Into The Wild (2023).

When people laugh, they relax, and that’s what gives you the space to tackle serious topics too

“When people laugh, they relax, and perhaps that’s what gives you the space to tackle serious topics too,” Jenni Kallo ponders. She is keen to also highlight that humour is one of the cornerstones of life, and its place in art should not be underestimated. “On a serious note, it takes a lot to figure out how to both give and take humour.”