Johnny Got His Gun | Finland Event Single

Essi Rossi, the Finnish theatre-maker, presents a gripping one-man adaptation of Dalton Trumbo’s 1938 anti-war masterpiece, Johnny Got His Gun.

In the aftermath of a grenade hitting Joe Bonham during WWI, he awakens in a hospital to a devastating reality – his arms, legs, eyes, ears, and mouth are gone. Left as a torso, he grapples with being the living dead, alone with his thoughts. Through Rossi’s avant-garde performance, Joe breaks through the silence to share his tragic tale, spanning the tumultuous 1900s – a century marked by growth, violence, and loss.

Having fought in the name of liberty, democracy, and his homeland, Joe finds himself questioning the very dreams he was taught to aspire to. This poignant adaptation refuses to take the easy way out, offering a compelling exploration of Joe’s journey and the profound impact of war on the individual and society at large.
Supported by the Embassy of Finland New Delhi, Johnny Got His Gun will be first staged in Thrissur as part of ITFoK 2024, in Thrissur on 16 February 2024, and later at Rangamandala, Attakkalari Centre for Movement Arts on 18 February 2024.