Patric Lavrijsen (50) from Reusel is truly a real carnival lover. The former prince organized the parade in the village for many years. Until disaster struck three years ago: he suddenly became blind. It meant the end of all volunteer work around carnival for him. Still, he wants to continue to do something with carnival and so he goes into the barrel as a blind barrel talker. He has his first baby on Friday evening.
Three years ago, Patric had surgery because he has colon cancer. But that operation went completely wrong. “I was in a coma for two weeks,” he says. “And when I woke up, I was blind and my feet dropped.” Foot drop is a partially paralyzed foot. Patric cannot explain exactly how it could turn out this way. But it meant a huge change for him. “Then you have to get back to life. And that is not easy.”
Before that failed operation, Patric was very active in the Reusel carnival for years. “I helped organize the parade for 22 years, I was in the Council of Eleven for 17 years and in 2005 I was allowed to be a prince.” It is no exaggeration that carnival was his passion and his life. And the fact that all of this suddenly disappeared was a big blow for Patric.
“Carnival is in my heart.”
Celebrating Carnival is no longer the way it used to be. The stimuli of the carnival party quickly become too much for him. “It’s hard,” he says. “I still miss it,” he says as tears well up. “You know, carnival is in my heart.”
And the blood is crawling where it can’t go: now he wants to do something with carnival again. “I really want to stay in the carnival world.” And so the plan arose to become a top talker, because Patric continues to make jokes all the time.
So it’s up to him. A character, as a top talker always does, was also quickly found. With Patric, that character is mainly himself. “But enlarged and more comical,” he says. “That’s not that difficult when you’re up against everything. Then you will have found the type in no time.”
But blind talk also has its challenges. “I don’t have a cheat sheet to look at if I forget my lines,” he explains. But thanks to an ‘earpiece’, two friends can occasionally whisper a text. And they help him onto the stage.
“That you belong.”
What Patric finds most difficult is not seeing the audience. “That is quite a challenge. I don’t see people’s reaction. If my jokes are good, I hear them laughing. And if it stays quiet, I’ll just continue with my bum.”
On Friday evening, Patric will make his debut as a tone talker at the Krekwakwo Star Show in Reusel. “I hope people see that you can do more, even if you have a disability. That you belong. We are all human and we can all joke.”
YOU CAN READ MORE ABOUT CARNIVAL HERE:
The history of the most famous carnival squatters
The cracker by Henny Huisman together with Veul Gère
And on this overview page you will find all the stories about carnival in Roetoetgat together