As is well known, 2025 was declared the Year of the Estonian Book, marking 500 years since the first printed work containing Estonian text appeared in Germany. It is hardly surprising that this grand celebration extended into the theatre and left a strong imprint there as well. At the 2025 Estonian Theatre Awards, the directing prize was awarded to Riina Roose for her production In the Beginning Was Song, which premiered at the Tallinn City Theatre in February last year.
Roose’s production highlights several important aspects: first, the close relationship between poetry and song, and thus between written literature and lyrics; and second, the encouraging fact that many classics of Estonian language and literature were also musically gifted individuals. At the same time, the production suggests that no creative genre achieves its full impact without the support of others.Literature, which requires time – and time is increasingly scarce – finds ever greater support in music and theatre. Consequently, the significance of live, immediate literary performance shows no sign of diminishing. This significance is also reflected in one of HeadRead’s traditions, the programme Timeless Texts in Temporal Theatre, which brings beloved actors to the stage. This year, Kaie Mihkelson, Teele Pärn and Ringo Ramul will perform.