‘Diary of a Sheepdog’: an intimate musical in too wide a coat

He falls awkwardly with the door to the house, or rather: with his bicycle on the street. Erik Odekerke, the new assistant chaplain, does not like natural superiority. Fortunately, he has a guardian angel who whispers wisdom to him, although he is at odds with her in no time.

It is an iconic entrance to the musical that is loosely based on the hit television series from the 1970s. The story is set in a village in South Limburg between 1914 and 1918. Erik Odekerke is not lucky: he clashes with the conservative-religious pastor on duty, falls in love and desperately tries to save the community, ravaged by the coal mining industry. . He initially turns against him, boldly when he just goes out for a walk with the young Miete.

Joes Brauers plays Erik wonderfully clumsy, sensitive and with a touch of self-mockery. He forms a charming couple with Nandi van Beurden (Miete); the click between the two characters could easily have become too sweet, but that is cleverly circumvented with layered play. The other characters are less layered, although there is a lot of fun to be had with them. Angela Schijf is on a roll as a clumsy, sometimes downright grumpy guardian angel, who gradually loses her faith in people. Together with Suzan Seegers as an endearingly moody housekeeper, she provides a good deal of humor.

Read also this interview with Nandi van Beurden

Rapids

While the first half should focus more on the smooth characters than on exciting plot developments, after the break writer André Breedland suddenly opts for an anecdotal acceleration: with, among other things, the disruptive mining industry, the exodus of the church, the rise of socialism, the death of two villagers and Erik’s remorse. It’s too much, so nothing is really worked out well.

With its sober decor, Diary of a Sheepdog an intimate musical in a much too loose jacket. The performance occasionally drowns in the enormous hall of the MECC convention center. There are many ensemble songs (composition: Ad van Dijk), which are musically strong and versatile, but are by no means always intelligible. A forty-piece concert band now and then creates atmosphere, a real horse that makes its appearance twice briefly is just nonsense.

The intimate scenes between Erik and Miete are typical: director Servé Hermans situates them meters far back on the enormous stage, so that he needs a camera to project their facial expressions large. That sorts a huge distance. A shame: you don’t want to register these beautiful moments, you want to feel them!