BullyBully (3+) reduces a power conflict between two world leaders to an essence that even a toddler can understand ★★★★☆

It’s hard not to think about Putin during BullyBully, the latest toddler performance (3+) by Maas Theater en Dans. In it we see two kings, world leaders actually, meeting at the border between their countries. For a bilateral agreement, trade talks or peace negotiations? It does not matter. It is clear that the two are diametrically opposed.

Director René Geerlings brings the recognizable power conflict of the two ‘leaders’ back to its essence. And that is an essence that even a toddler can understand. Everything on the left is pink, on the right everything is green. What follows is a game of urinating of the highest caliber. There is no (intelligible) speech in the performance, but everything the two do screams: I’m nice and better than you.

The kings are played slapstick-like by Sue-Ann Bel and Henke Tuinstra, with fake mustaches. They let themselves go completely in ostentation. Everything is allowed to outdo each other. Does one have a statue? Then the other makes a bigger statue. Does one have a flag? Then the other has a bigger flag. A dance competition turns into a sword fight turns into a ‘Who can jack the hardest?’

Recognizable for toddlers are the many life and death competitions. For the adults it is disconcerting to see the behavior of certain real world leaders effortlessly reflected in these big babies. BullyBully ends reassuringly with a beautiful duet and the reconstruction of everything that has been demolished. Let’s hope so.