ABSTRACT
The chapter introduces significant literary works as national interpretations.In Finland importing culture has always been much more significant than exporting it, and Finnish national culture has been largely cosmopolitan in its nature. From the 1970s until the early 1990s, the National Theatre kept up its strong Shakespeare and Molière tradition, with both playwrights being well-represented in productions. The Theatre’s Shakespeare productions were an example of how canonical texts retained their relevance when there was an emphasis on diversity, and a director with an innovative perspective and reputation was also an important factor. French classics also tended to attract special attention. The number of new productions of traditionally regularly staged works from the German-speaking parts of Europe was now modest and from other Continental European countries few and far between. Finnish actors were successful at inhabiting Slavic characters. One of the Finnish National Theatre’s emerging strengths was its ability to collaborate with Eastern European directors who understood the world of these plays on a deep level.
