Rosettan kivi

The British Museum is preparing for a celebration. It has been 200 years since the mystery of the Rosetta Stone was solved. The big anniversary is tomorrow, but behind the scenes things are heating up.  

As the English and Egyptian museum intendants argue in the dark of night about who the Rosetta Stone belongs to, their Finnish interpreter unexpectedly meets the museum's night guard. The interpreter and the night guard discuss the famous stone, ego, and the traces we leave behind — including those that are easily hidden from view.  

At the same time, flashbacks transport the audience to the 19th century to follow Jean-François Champollion's feverish obsession with solving the mystery of the Rosetta Stone's hieroglyphs before his competitors. But can the mystery ever be solved conclusively? Can another time or culture be captured?

 Rosetta Stone - Remember Me Forever! is Elina Snicker's new multi-layered play about ambition, remembrance, and the question of whose gaze we crave in life. The play takes a human approach to exploring our attempts to understand and control the unknown. Directed by Saana Lavaste, The Rosetta Stone asks why we want to be remembered – and what we are willing to sacrifice for it.

Playwright and dramaturge Elina Snicker has had a significant impact on Finnish culture during her diverse career. Snicker's previous works include Harmony Sisters – kolmannen valtakunnan sisaret and Puolustusvoimat, rakastettuni. Snicker is one of the dramaturges at UNTO, the New Play Office.

Saana Lavaste is a director and professor in the Directing Programme at the Theater Academy of the University of the Arts Helsinki. Lavaste's latest production, Läkaren, written by Robert Icke, premiered at Svenska Teatern in 2024. Lavaste is interested in artistic leadership, working with the unknown, and directing as the art of bringing things to life. Lavaste is one of the founders of Teatteri 2.0.

Performances from October 4 to December 13, 2025. Subtitles in English and plain language Finnish available on Wednesdays and Fridays. Duration 2 h 30 min.

The Rosetta Stone is one of the world's most famous archaeological finds

The Rosetta Stone is an ancient stone carved over 2,000 years ago, which helped solve the mystery of ancient Egyptian hieroglyphics. The stone has the same text written in three different scripts: Greek, ancient Egyptian demotic script, and hieroglyphics. The mystery of the hieroglyphics was solved by French linguist Jean-Francois Champollion in 1822. The stone, which is located in the British Museum in London, ended up in Great Britain as a war prize in the 19th century.