Hiiiii and hello darlings!
My name’s Diane, and you’re all hereby VERY much welcome to my little dinner party here in Hanko! Come along and get some FRESH all-vegan snacks, some entertainment, stories, some good convos and maybe, just maybe… even a new good friend? You could also bring one of your own friends, or a stranger!
I hope you can make it to this lovely get-together with me!
All my love, kisses and smooches, Diane.
Dinner with Diane is an autofictional drag performance that explores themes of self-acceptance, death, how we perceive ourselves and our relationship with animals.
The audience, or dinner guests, are invited to a dinner hosted by Diane, a warm-hearted and eccentric newcomer to town. Her biggest wish is to make new friends and acquaintances, which she desperately tries to achieve by offering small fruit animals as appetizers, chatting with the guests about their lives and sharing fairy tales and stories from her childhood spent on a farm.
At first, everything seems cozy, if a little energetic, but as time passes, something seems off with Diane. Things change in the already absurd dining room when the main course is served, and Diane is reminded of her childhood best friend.
Content warnings:
Hints of violence and slaughter, relatively strong sounds. The performance is partly participatory, the hostess 'Diane' might start conversations directly with audience members.
Tobias Klemets is a Helsinki-based actor from Ostrobothnia. Tobias graduated from Uniarts Helsinki’s Theatre Academy in 2024, and this is his first own project where he is onstage outside his studies. As an actor, he works a lot with authenticity, tension and contrasts, all in a strong relationship with the audience and what the work itself needs.
Elli Kujansuu is a Helsinki-based lighting and set designer from South Ostrobothnia. She works mainly in theatre and performing arts. An important part of her work is creating together with the whole team. Her lighting design is characterised by strong use of colour, contrasts and sensory aesthetics.
Mari Aalto is a makeup artist, makeup designer and hairstylist who is and has been active in several projects in the art world such as television, theatre and drag. She works with great variety and her works are always created with a strong connection to the individual and what kind of makeup and hair makes them feel best.
Actor, writer, creator: Tobias Klemets
Set & light design: Elli Kujansuu
Makeup artist & design: Mari Aalto
Supported by: Konstsamfundet, Swedish Cultural Foundation in Finland