How many times can a prime minister say ‘sorry’, ‘I’m sorry’ or ‘mea culpa’? Very often, as appears from the beginning of the performance Rutte’s rules. Erris van Ginkel wrote and directed this cabaret-like comedy for Theatergroep Toetssteen and he makes grateful use of the many TV fragments on which the Prime Minister had to apologize. On three screens we see a humble but always self-confident politician, who time and again manages to crawl through the net.
Who plays Ruth? The four actors of Toetssteen decide among themselves who most resembles the prime minister and that is Harm Witteveen. But luckily not quite. The performance is therefore not kufnoen-like attempt at imitation, but a quest by theater makers for the secret of the Teflon Prime Minister.
In all sorts of playful scenes, Van Ginkel skims past the many affairs – from the conflict with Rita Verdonk to the allowance affair. There is a boxing match with Verdonk and a quiz in which we have to guess which ministers have died under Rutte’s rule for whatever reason. There are clever jokes about Halbe Zijlstra and Rutte’s vase, and a somewhat lame parody of Kasja Ollongren’s leaked minutes. The way in which Sigrid Kaag is played is also somewhat caricatured, but fortunately the players recognize this themselves and interrupt their performance.
The four players of Toetssteen playfully formulate a number of Rutte’s rules that have given him the honor of becoming the longest-serving prime minister of the Netherlands. Towards the end there is a beautiful monologue in which we see something of Rutte’s human side. In the telephone conversations with his mother from the nursing home, we learn a little more about the man’s personal emotions. But luckily not too much.
RUTTE .’S RULES
Theater
★★★★ ren
By Theatergroep Toetsteen, text and direction Erris van Ginkel.
4/9 In Het Amsterdams Theaterhuis, there until 18/9.