Drugs, farmers, carnival music and Björn van der Doelen; they are the ingredients for the musical theater performance Eldorado. Het Zuidelijk Toneel takes it to farms and shows the struggle of farmers in the drug province of Brabant.
Sunbeams burn on the roof of the barn of a farm in Rucphen on Sunday afternoon. The rehearsals for Eldorado are literally between the hay bales. From the carnival smash hit ‘Bloemetjes Curtain’ to the swinging ‘Baila me’: everything is covered in the play.
The focus is on a farming family that is struggling financially. And then suddenly there is criminal Romario, played by Björn van der Doelen. “I’ll be the crook, yes!” he says with a laugh, in plain Brabantian. “I’m coming to rent the garage for 55,000 euros a year, which is of course way too much money. And then there is friction within the family.”
A well-known drug discovery in Brabant was the source of inspiration. In February 2017, the police found a large-scale drug lab in a warehouse of a CDA treasurer in Leende. The mega evening also had major consequences for carnival association De Lolmakers. The builders had to get off the site and their carnival fell into the water.
The author of the play, Wiske Sterringa, wants to make people think. “The million-dollar-question is: what kind of Brabant do we want to live in?”, she wonders aloud. Despite the serious message, according to Sterringa it is anything but heavy. “It will be a party to look forward to and to participate”, said Wiske.
“People are quick to pass judgment when they read the news,” adds Van der Doelen. “Why would you go into business with criminals? Yet it is all a lot less black and white than we think”, the actor knows. “That’s what this story shows and I think that’s very beautiful. It was made with a lot of love.”
The stretch also passes by four other farms; in Beers, Loon op Zand, Loosbroek and Kaatsheuvel. It is a mega production, in total 750 musicians participate. About 150 amateur musicians from all kinds of music associations participate in each municipality: brass bands, church choirs or even carnival associations. “That’s the nice thing about working with so many people,” says Van der Doelen with a twinkle in his eye.
The premiere is next Friday in Rucphen, at the Dairy Farm Family Van Kalmthout. The show can be seen until mid-July.