The St. John’s Cathedral in Den Bosch will become an enormous theater backdrop for the play ‘Battle for the Cathedral’ by Jacques Vriens. In September, a completely medieval city will be built in the garden of the cathedral.
“When you sit there, you will be looking at a medieval city,” Jacques Vriens says against Dtv News† He wrote the book ‘Struggle for the Cathedral’ and also directs the theater performance.
“It is a city with a monastery and the building site of the cathedral. There are houses of the baker, the wine merchant and the blacksmith. And there is an evil inn with ladies of pleasure.”
It is a bit of a coincidence that Saint John is the setting for the play. The performance also takes place in De Mortel near Gemert and in Venlo. Producer Bas Leenders wanted to arrange a tour of Sint-Jan for the cast and crew so that they would get a better feel for the play. To his surprise, the plebaan of the cathedral asked if they wanted to play the piece at St. John’s.
“It’s fantastic, isn’t it,” says Vriens. “This is a dream come true. I lived in Den Bosch until I was six. We lived near the Sint-Jan. My parents were active Catholics. So I’ve been there quite often. The love for cathedrals started there.”
The story is about the construction of a cathedral. “It’s about the friendship between the master builder’s son and the blind girl Mette. But also about the tension of protests against the construction of the cathedral. It really is a family performance”, says Vriens.
The play ‘Struggle for the cathedral’ will be performed from 25 May to 5 June in De Mortel and from 8 to 18 September at Sint-Jan in Den Bosch.
A preview of the show: