Last year it was announced that the performances of the Pauperparadijs in Veenhuizen could not take place due to problems with nitrogen. The location, the grounds of the Prison Museum in Veenhuizen, is six kilometers from a Natura 2000 area (the Fochteloërveen). All events in that area must have a nitrogen deposition of 0. Just over 0 was emitted during the performance. The show has now been given the green light to go ahead.
This was also taken into account when devising this performance. “We had an ecological report drawn up,” says co-producer Wolter Lommerde. “That meets the nitrogen deposition. We also have to apply for the permit with that, that process is still ongoing at the moment.”
A total of eight actors participate. Marjolein Sey, Servaes Nelissen, Kim van Velzen, Tobias Nierop, Jeske van de Staak, Rein Hofman, Sofie Bakker, and Han Oldigs. The latter has the leading role and plays Boer Koekoek. According to Oldigs a striking personality. “He sometimes said: ‘I don’t know what it’s about, but I am against it’. That is of course quite special, but it is an honor that I can play him,” the actor laughs.
To prepare himself well, he has read a lot about Koekoek and viewed images. He himself has a personal hook, which makes him extra motivated. “I am the son of a farmer’s daughter. When the farmers’ revolt was going on, I often visited my grandfather’s farm. My mother voted for the Farmers’ Party and my father didn’t like that, because he voted PvdA. That sometimes caused friction. My grandfather had a small farm and it wasn’t always easy. I kind of got it.”
The idea was initially brought to life by Pieter-Bas Rebers of De Tamboer in Hoogeveen. “In 2017 I came to work in Hoogeveen, then you immerse yourself completely in everything that has to do with theater. Boer Koekoek sometimes passed by. Then I thought, this story is so special, really something of this environment. something has to be done about it.”
He then went to Tom de Ket. “I asked him if he was interested in making something large-scale out of it. He wanted that. The rest is actually history.” A nice detail is that the actors get help from the Huus van de Taol in using the correct Drenthe dialect.
The performance itself can be seen from 12 July to 27 August.