The official opening will not take place until March 2024, but on Monday the key to the new Theater aan de Parade in Den Bosch was handed over to the management. An exciting moment, after a renovation that cost more than 80 million euros. The boxes are still packed and the chairs folded, but the staff are almost bursting with pride.
The renovation of the theater took some time. Starting in 2021, when our country, including its cultural sector, was immersed in a pandemic, the doors of the theater closed for the renovation. What followed was setback after setback. With some rising energy costs, material prices and legal procedures on top, the total cost amounted to over 80 million. While the calculation in 2018 still amounted to a maximum of 62.7 million.
But then you also have something, so to speak. Wearing construction helmets, the theater staff stands beaming at the new gate. Over the past 2.5 years, performances and events have been outsourced to other theaters, in Tilburg and Eindhoven, for example. Now finally their own agenda beckons again.
“The old theater was beautiful, but outdated.”
“I have already planned my first performance,” says a beaming Marie-José Meeuwissen, who works at the Theater aan de Parade. She is standing in the Pleinzaal, which has become a little bigger and has been completely renovated. “The old theater was beautiful, but outdated. It was worn out,” she says. This was mainly reflected in the opportunity to profit from it. A cup of coffee was just fine, “but it was not actually designed for full-length programs.”
That is different now. Although everything is in boxes and the railings in the stairwell still have to be screwed into place, the tap is already beckoning in the wings. And cultural councilor Mike van der Geld is also eagerly awaiting this.
“A theater like this cannot be missed in a cultural city like Den Bosch,” he concludes. He seems relieved that the building has finally been completed. After the amount of money and setbacks that the renovation cost, it can now finally be enjoyed. “The building has a lot of glass and is now finally beautifully connected to the Parade. The most beautiful square in Europe.”
The first performance will be performed in the theater on December 8. It is still the test phase that lasts until February 28. In March everything should be completely fine and the theater can be officially opened.