In his State of the Theater, director Eric de Vroedt said last September that he had counted around 1,400 premieres in the past season. That’s 28 per week and four per day. The theater offers an abundance that you can drown in or enjoy. Fortunately, the balance turned to the positive in 2023.
It was a good theater year for performances about dealing with racism, discrimination and slavery, with powerful performances from Theater Rotterdam, NITE and Club Gewalt, among others. It was also a good year for performances about feminism and emancipation, as shown twice at ITA. And it was a great year for performances about the dreams and desires of queer people, including impressive young talent such as Louis Janssens and Compagnie Red Yellow & Blue.
With the change of power at ITA, where Ivo van Hove made way for Eline Arbo, it is undeniable that women are taking over in the theater. This sector does this better than other professional groups. On the other hand, the revelations about inappropriate behavior at Likeminds were painful. The sector still needs to take steps, because this puts the commitment to all those theater performances in a stark light.
1 Desire Louis Janssens
In a buttery light, four bare-chested men hold each other while they express their dreams and desires. Desire is a beautiful, intimate performance about the vulnerability and strength of young people. The beautiful, sleek design of the language and decor gives an extra impulse.
Also read: Festival Boulevard in Den Bosch starts with the performance ‘Desire’ on a rare high
2 Penthesilea ITA, directed by Eline Arbo
A female look at lust and violence framed with beautiful music, beautiful singing and lots of blood. Eline Arbo makes a very strong ensemble excel with physical playing.
Also read: Crushing theater with Amazon queen as rock star
3 The Story of Travis Well Made Productions/Theater Rotterdam, director: Romana Vrede
The smart, magical-realistic sequel to the classic A Raisin in the Sun emphasizes the fight against racism and the hope of new generations for different times, in a musical, swinging direction by Romana Vrede.
Also read: Crushing family chronicle is Romana Vrede’s dream debut
4 Yara’s Wedding NITE, director: Guy Weizman
It’s amazing how this loud party can be felt in the room, while stimulating conversations always offer a new perspective on injustice, guilt and shame. Musically, visually and emotionally exuberant and at the same time an intellectual joust.
Also read: Loud, erratic and emotional ‘Yara’s Wedding’ brings identity politics to a human scale
5 John & Gena Wunderbaum
Scenes from the work of filmmaker John Cassavetes and actress Gena Rowlands allow four actors to reflect on their own lives, their profession and each other, in this loving, amusing ode to acting.
Also read: Beautiful love letter to John Cassavetes and Gena Rowlands – and actually to all actors
6 Who’s afraid of Oscar Wilde Company Red Yellow Blue
A fast-paced, very witty comedy about two queer couples, one of whom has a solution to the impasse surrounding their desire to have children. The excellent text is performed razor sharply by the four actors: hilarity without losing impact.
Also read: ‘Who’s Afraid of Oscar Wilde’ is an extremely witty and deeply moving relationship drama
What surprised me most this year are two comedies. They gave me an incredible amount of pleasure because of the razor-sharp texts and the flawless acting. Who’s afraid of Oscar Wilde by Compagnie Red Yellow Blue is the comedy of the year for me. In a turbulent change of relationships, love, sex, identities and relationships are stripped to the bone. Collective Blueprint took us by surprise Paradise at the end to turn a biblical drama by Vondel into a frothy cocktail. That was a surprise, because a year ago I had to conclude that comedy was dead in the Netherlands and unfortunately there were plenty of examples of that again this year. But these two young groups have the future.
Read more articles and reviews from Ron Rijghard
7 Fine Face ITA, director: Eline Arbo
An arrogant lawyer becomes the victim of a sex crime himself. That teaches her how unfair the law can be. Thanks to the virtuoso detail in the execution and the phenomenal acting of Maria Kraakman, a grating indictment is created against failing moral laws.
Also read: Maria Kraakman triumphs in striking indictment against outdated moral laws
8 10 Year Anniversary Club Gewalt
In this brutal performance about privilege and institutional racism, the company confronts the audience about its own behavior. That conversation is alternated with hypnotic, exciting rhythms that blast through the room.
Also read: 10 years anniversary is a brutal performance about privilege and racism
9 Person Longing for Human Charles Pas/Feikes House
This elusive and intriguing performance in a fierce choreography with fire delivers a fascinating and moving spectacle, in which every twist surprises. The bodies of the mimes appear electrically charged. They express love and lust, but also loneliness.
Also read: Global warming is approaching on Over het IJ
10 The making of Soros the Musical mosquito with the gold tooth
Art is ordered chaos. Everything is turned upside down in this infectious mix of satire, psychological drama, musical and the life story of the Hungarian-Jewish businessman Soros. Lineke Rijxman is delightful as the phlegmatic artist who resembles him more than she likes.
Also read: With ‘musical’ about Soros, Mugmetdegoudentooth says goodbye after 38 years
I was most moved in 2023 The Dresserin which Karina Holla demonstrates her unparalleled love for the theater. After a career spanning more than 50 years, the actor, mime artist and director offers an insight into a life that takes place on stage. That charge is palpable in her body language and voice and her sometimes visible fatigue. The soul of the theater can be seen through Holla’s eyes. This ode to her theater career forces you to bear the weight of her dedication.
Read more articles and reviews from Karima Aissaoui
The performance that partly attracted a ‘wrong’ audience in 2023 was Ripperdawith comedian Bert Visscher. This beautiful musical theater performance about a 17th-century charlatan took place on a Groningen mound last summer. The leading role was played by comedian Bert Visscher. The public stand was full night after night. A resounding success, you might say. However, not all spectators were equally enthusiastic. Visscher, contrary to his image, played a serious role. The performance attracted audiences who were not always used to linguistic musical theater. This was different at the previous Zummerbühne production: Dutch Hope stayed closer to the TV series it was based on.
Read more articles and reviews from Elisabeth Oosterling
The theater company that showed a new side of itself this year was theater group Bambie. That group has existed for more than twenty-five years and became one of the leading voices in Dutch mime theater at the time. The group’s tender absurdism was given a surprising new twist in this year’s performance Help I Need Some Body, a collaboration with youth theater company DEGASTEN and Theater Lebelle, a theater workshop for players with an intellectual disability. The almost wordless Bambie style proved to be the perfect basis for an equal meeting between the three groups of players.
Read more articles and reviews from Marijn Lems
I had to resist the urge to walk away from Romeo Castellucci’s performance Brittle . I would have preferred to turn around when I was given earplugs upon arrival. I am glad that I endured this intense experience – full of overwhelmingly loud sounds and stylized violence –: once I crossed the threshold, I could see the beauty in it. But I can say with certainty that I prefer performances that do not require earplugs.
Read more articles and reviews from Amber Wiznitzer
I would like to make more space in the newspaper for the young women who gave an interview about The Omen, a performance in which Alexandra Broeder investigates the spiritual and social causes of anorexia. Alysha, Esmee and Bo said that they have difficulty taking up space – and that this may not only say something about women with eating disorders, but also about the role of women in Western society. Will we reserve more space for these kinds of honest, mild, wise voices in 2024?
Read more articles and reviews from Shira Keller