Parikka, once hailed as Finland’s Funniest Man, and his theater group face execution for their alleged crimes during the Finnish Civil War. However, Jaeger Lieutenant Nyborg, who admires Parikka, believes they are victims of a grave injustice. He seeks to save them by taking advantage of an upcoming visit from German General von der Goltz to the prison island. Nyborg proposes that the actors stage a comedic performance for the general, which would spare them from execution and grant them a new trial. Creating a comedy under such dire conditions, surrounded by starvation and death, is a daunting challenge. With only a few genuine actors left alive and the rest of the group made up of stagehands, Parikka must tap into all his creative abilities to deliver something humorous.