Guide to Becoming Tapio Rautavaara

When Youssef Asad Alkhatib, who is of Syrian origin, arrived in Finland as a refugee at the age of 16, he found an unexpected source of comfort in the Finnish soundscape and the songs of Tapio Rautavaara.

He identified with them and recognised something of himself in them. Ever since then, Alkhatib’s dream has been to create a performance about Finnish culture and his complex relationship with his idol. On Independence Day 2025, this long-held dream came true in KOM-teatteri.

The performance tells, with a smile, the story of a vagabond arriving from afar who has heard people talking about Finland and the happiest people in the world who live there. The language is unfamiliar and the customs strange, but Rautavaara’s songs offer guidance and hope for a better future. When the vagabond learns that his idol was also an Olympic medallist and a film star, his standards soar to the skies. How does our tenacious hero manage to live up to the expectations that he has set for himself and embody the archetype of the perfect Finnish man? And how far is he prepared to go to become as beloved as Tapsa, who was adored by the whole nation?

Youssef Asad Alkhatib is one of the most interesting new voices in Finnish theatre. Theatre has provided him with a way of understanding his new homeland, and now, as a student at the Theatre Academy, he is transforming his experiences into stories that resonate with both young people of Finnish descent and immigrant communities. Alkhatib has previously appeared with KOM-teatteri in the productions Seitsemän tarinaa häpeästä and Hölmölä – Suuri Talousfoorumi, and in his autobiographical monologue performance Hajuvesi.

Alongside Alkhatib, the cast includes musician Taavi Hasunen, who also works in KOM-teatteri as an AV designer and as a sound and lighting technician. Otto Nyberg is responsible for the script and direction of the production; his career include works such as Kanijanikani and Julius – Kaukaisella tähdellä oman päänsä sisällä, which was awarded the Thalia Prize for Performance of the Year in 2024.

The premiere of the new production by KOM-teatteri took place in the Turbine Hall of Cable Factory on 6 December 2025.

Written and directed by: Otto Nyberg
On stage: Youssef Asad Alkhatib and Taavi Hasunen
Costume design: Ella Aurora Snellman
Set design: creative team
Lighting and audio: Taavi Hasunen
Seamstress/milliner: Fiona Timantti

Performance language: Finnish
Performance duration: 60 min