The Pauper’s Paradise This summer, he has chosen not to perform in Veenhuizen, but in the AFAS Theater in Leusden. According to producer Wolter Lommerde, the risk of performing in Veenhuizen is too great. “It became more and more expensive in the open air, in the theater you always have the same conditions.”
The theater spectacle took place in 2016, 2017 and 2023 The Pauper’s Paradise on display in the courtyard of the National Prison Museum in Veenhuizen. In between it was shown in Theater Carré in Amsterdam. A permit had already been issued by the municipality of Noordenveld for this year, but producer Lommerde chose to go to the theater in the center of the country.
Playing outdoors entails too many risks. “It is too hot in the summer to perform in the afternoon. In addition, two performances could not take place last summer due to a storm,” Lommerde explains. “In addition, starting up in the Prison Museum costs half a million euros. If you look now, it is an empty lawn that has to be converted into a pop-up theater. That will have to be paid for somewhere.”
There was a lot going on around the performances, because some local residents regularly complained about noise pollution. Last year, objections from local residents were rejected The Pauper’s Paradise could continue. “Not everyone was cheering when we announced something in Veenhuizen,” says Lommerde. “That was not the main reason, but it is an additional thing. That kind of thing takes a lot of energy.” In an initial response, local residents say they are happy that action will be taken elsewhere, because then “it won’t bother us”.
The choice for Leusden was a no-brainer for Lommerde. He already has good experiences there, as another performance by director Tom de Ket (Fourteen, about the life of Johan Cruijff) is already being played. “It is a nice theater, in the middle of the country. That makes the choice easier. We can also do a lot with light and sound, which will be fantastic.”
From Friday, July 19 to Saturday, August 17, 27 performances are programmed in Leusden. The cast is largely the same as last summer.