A theatre troupe from Finland is travelling to B.C. to put on a play about their ancestors who lived on an island off Vancouver Island.

The play is called Sointula, named for the island where many of those who live there are of Finnish descent.

Their ancestors built a Utopian community on the sland over a hundred years ago.  Their leader, Matti Kurikka, was a charismatic religious philosopher who believed in free love and socialism.   The play tells their story.

The commune ended in a tragic fire in 1903 that saw 11 people killed, including 8 children.

But many of the original settlers remained on Sointula Island, and when some of their descendents heard of the play being done in Finland, they invited the troupe to visit and stage a performance.