At the very beginning of his career, Freek Bartels (37) from Tilburg already played a smaller role in the musical ‘Les Misérables’. That was in 2008. Now he has been on stage night after night in the same musical for four months now. But now in a leading role as an evil police commissioner. And as an actor he can say a lot about that, Freek tells Wednesday in the TV program ‘KRAAK asks through’. Because although he sings the stars from heaven, Freek still feels like an actor above all. “I wanted that as a child, that singing came later.”
Yet in his youth it was mainly music that struck the clock. Freek grew up in a musical family in Tilburg. He has been involved in musicals since primary school. He had talent and that eventually led him to the conservatory in Tilburg, where he graduated cum laude. He was taught by singing teacher Edward Hoepelman, who still accompanies him. Once in a while Freek goes back to Tilburg to go through a new role with Hoepelman. Hoepelman finds it special that Freek still occasionally ‘comes home’ as he calls it.
Looking For Joseph
Especially 15 years ago he had a lot to do with Hoepelman. He then won the television program Opzoek Naar Joseph, which resulted in a leading role in the musical of the same name. He had barely graduated and a lot was coming at him. Hoepelman was his support and strength at the time, he says.
Looking back on his career since then, he does not do much, Freek confesses. But now that he’s playing in Les Misérables again, his thoughts go back to 15 years ago when he also played in it for a few months. Then he played student leader Enjolras. He now sees younger people in the same stage as he was then. Everything was new and impressive.
“Then I notice that I’m a bit older,” he says. “I know better what my strengths and weaknesses are. You know how it works.” He sees as a disadvantage that where he could still surprise with his talent at the time, he now mainly has to live up to expectations.
Another villain
But at the same time he is also looking for new challenges. Next year he will play in the musical ‘Jesus Christ Superstar’ directed by Ivo van Hove. And here too it is a ‘bad guy’ again and what kind: he plays Judas. “A fantastic role, I watched the film as a child and was deeply impressed.”
But now until October Les Misérables. The musical can be seen until Sunday 2 July in the Chassé theater in Breda. The performance then moves to Carré in Amsterdam. From September 20 to October 1, the musical can be seen in the Parktheater in Eindhoven.
‘KRAAK asks through’ is broadcast every Wednesday evening at 5.15 pm and then repeated. The program can also be viewed online and via Brabant+.