Freek de Jonge and Youp van ‘t Hek commemorated their dear friend and colleague Paul van Vliet on TV on Wednesday evening. The Hague comedian passed away on Tuesday at the age of 87 after a short illness, it was announced on Wednesday morning.
Van ‘t Hek, who maintained a 40-year friendship with Van Vliet, mainly remembers the comedian as an “uncontrollably nice guy”. “He was a gentleman and someone who always gave something to everyone.”
In October, Van ‘t Hek visited the comedian in The Hague when he could not come to his show due to illness. That was the last time Van ‘t Hek had seen his old friend. “Then we drank another pot of tea. That was good.”
Social changes
De Jonge especially praised the many characters Van Vliet played during his career. “He did that pretty well and brilliantly.” The comedian also reflected on his colleague’s style. “We no longer have this kind of entertainment these days, but we would benefit from it,” said De Jonge. “You can see how cabaret has changed.”
As an example, De Jonge took a sketch by Bram van de Commune, with which Van Vliet made hippie culture understandable to others. “Nowadays it is often more based on the comedian himself, his experiences. Little things like a round pizza in a square box. Bram was really about major social changes and how they can be accepted.”
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