Fretti Mercury etsii onnea is a musical full of heart and depth about friendship and the search for happiness.

Feeling down, Fretti Mercury persuades his friend Jänis Virtanen to join him in search of happiness. Along the way, on a journey that turns into an incredible adventure, they meet many creatures who are happy in their own unique ways – yet happiness always seems to elude the friends themselves.

Could Jon Bon Ovi’s wisdom help them find happiness? Or Kirva Babitzin’s precise enthusiasm, Hiiri Äitee Rantanen’s cheerful spirit, Tessu Redford’s easy-going perseverance, Pöllö Miljoona’s rebelliousness, Naula Vesala’s flawless sharpness or perhaps Karitsa Mattila’s beautiful singing voice?

And will the friends be brave enough to make their way through the frightening, dark Tunneli
Jäätteenmäki to find happiness? Seiti Etsivä, the world’s greatest private detective, finally emerges from his freezer to help them on their quest.

The musical’s incredibly inventive score is composed by Marzi Nyman, with lyrics by Mariska. The music offers something for audiences of all ages, while the text is brimming with Miika Nousiainen’s distinctive linguistic playfulness. Parents accompanying their children will recognise echoes of the characters’ famous namesakes in the songs. In keeping with the play’s theme, riotous humour and heart-wrenching wistfulness go hand in hand throughout the music.

But is happiness inside the person searching for it all along, or is it something you can put on display on a bookshelf?

The production is based on the 2020 children’s book of the same name by Miika Nousiainen and Sanna-Mari Pirkola.