Mikko Niemistö: The Tormentor
In collaboration with "Moving in November"
"The Tormentor" a builds up as a weird and sacrilegious clown performance—a solo that creates cracks in this archetypical theatrical character and places it in the frame of contemporary choreography.
In the piece, choreographer Mikko Niemistö draws from his past studies of physical theatre, fusing them with his practice of associative and improvisational movement practices. Inspired by dances, traditional clown routines and the upside-down world of carnival, the work draws from historical manifestations of clowns and jesters, from medieval carnivals to Finnish pre-Christian and monstruous pagan figures.
The work is part of the "On the Move in November" festival, November 5–15, 2026. As part of the festival, Niemistö will engage in a discussion with a local artist at an open "Soup Talks" event on November 10 at 12:00 p.m. at Caisa.
Production Credits
Choreography and Performance: Mikko Niemistö
Sound Design: Johannes Vartola
Lighting Design and Set Design: Sofia Palillo
Costume Design: Siru Kosonen
Clowning and Bouffon Mentors: Andrés del Bosque and Taina Mäki-Iso
Production: Mikko Niemistö and Soili Huhtakallio
Co-production: On the Move in November
Residencies: MDT, Ehkä Productions & Kutomo Contemporary Art Space
In collaboration with: Mad House Helsinki & The Reality Research Center
Supported by: Kone Foundation
Photo: Katri Naukkarinen
Bio
Mikko Niemistö is a Helsinki-based choreographer and performer. He creates stage works in which contemporary choreography and theatricality engage in a dialogue, often with a particular focus on sound and music. He graduated as a choreographer from the University of the Arts in Stockholm in 2017. In his works, Niemistö explores the formation of the self through tacit knowledge and the accumulation of bodily memories. He focuses on the blind spots of everyday reality, such as dreams, psychedelic experiences, and the supernatural.
During 2026–2027, Niemistö will undertake an artistic journey aimed at reexamining and restructuring her background in physical theater, as well as the bodily and historical manifestations it brings to light. Niemistö’s works have been presented at venues such as Zodiak – Center for New Dance, the Liikkeellä marraskuussa festival, and the Kiasma Theater in Finland; Inkonst in Sweden; the far° festival in Switzerland; at CCN de Caen in Normandy, France, and at the ImPulsTanz festival in Austria, where her work *Odd Meters* received a special mention from the [8:tension] Young Choreographer’s Series jury in 2022.
Photo: Katri Naukkarinen
