Performances / Szigligeti Company / 2025-2026
Tauno Yliruusi
Arsenic and Tea
A crime comedy in two acts
Translated by:: Anikó Kokos
Tauno Yliruusi, the Finnish playwright, was born in Tampere and, at the time of this play’s premiere, was a candidate at the University of Helsinki. On the occasion of the Hungarian premiere, he sent a letter to the theatre company:
"Dear Friends,
The year 1986 started beautifully for me. In the midst of a harsh winter, a ray of invigorating sunshine arrived from Romania: the Hungarian section of the Oradea State Theatre is staging my play Arsenic and Tea. In the spring of 1984, my wife and I visited Oradea, and we were delighted to watch a performance of my comedy Prison Career in Romanian. This, of course, fills me with infinite happiness and pride, because it is extraordinary for a Scandinavian-Finnish playwright to have his plays performed in such a highly developed language with such a rich history."
Yliruusi’s plays have also been performed in more widely spoken languages, with some translated into more than ten different tongues. One of his works was staged by the National Theatre in France, and the list goes on.
This particular play is a crime comedy in which three characters weave an intricate web of surprising and humorous events; until the truth finally comes to light.
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