PETER LIVED IN A HOUSE – a dolphin from dot to dot

On July 15, 1965, one of the most bizarre experiments in scientific history begins on the U.S. Virgin Islands: a dolphin named Peter starts receiving English lessons. In order to learn a human language, the dolphin and a young woman move into a house filled with water. When the experiment ends, Peter is moved to another lab, where he is placed in a small, solitary tub. Soon, he commits suicide.

Pipsa Lonka’s play PETER LIVED IN A HOUSE – a dolphin from dot to dot ruminates on this absurd, true story. At the heart of the work lies the paradox of love: a human’s love for an animal can destroy the very being it cherishes. The ultimate protagonist here is not the dolphin but language, and the power entangled in the fables of our culture. Amidst the waves of words that roll onto the stage, actors Ria Kataja, Iida Kuningas, and Anna Airola try to retell Peter’s story. They hem and haw, refuse to say, force themselves to utter, and say too much.

The performance shakes up the viewer’s senses and continues the collaboration between Lonka and WAUHAUS. In addition to WAUHAUS, the visual world of the work is created by designers Ville Seppänen and Riku Suvitie.