The Diary Club brings the most embarrassing memories of youth onto the stage exactly as they were originally written. Old diaries, love letters, poems, and school essays are brought back to life in front of a live audience as adults revisit the most dramatic moments of their teenage years and read aloud thoughts that were probably never meant for anyone else to hear. The result is both laugh-out-loud funny and surprisingly touching, full of emotions almost everyone can relate to.
During the evening, the audience laughs at first crushes, heartbreaks, teenage angst, and all those moments that once felt like the end of the world. At the same time, it becomes a nostalgic trip back to a time when every little thing felt huge and you thought you were completely alone with your feelings. The secondhand embarrassment quickly turns into a sense of connection when you realize we have all been equally confused, insecure, and dramatic at some point in our lives.
What makes the Diary Club special is its authenticity. These texts were never written for an audience or for publication, they were written in the middle of raw teenage emotions, when everything felt important and intense. That honesty makes the evenings both liberating and heartwarming. Embarrassing memories become shared laughter, while also carrying a surprising amount of warmth and nostalgia.
The first Diary Club was held in 2014 on a sold-out stage at Kulttuuritehdas Korjaamo, and since then the concept has delighted audiences all over Finland. The show is hosted by Risto Koo Järvinen and Eeva Vekki, who know perhaps a little too well what it feels like to read your teenage diary out loud.
Interested in joining the Diary Club?
Do you still have old diaries, poems, school essays, or other writings from your teenage years? Are they painfully embarrassing? Perfect. Come share them with a live audience at the Diary Club. We promise it will be an unforgettable experience.
Contact: paivakirjaklubi@gmail.com