The open-air music theater Veenbrand is moving to the Veenpark in Barger-Compascuum. The producers behind the play announced this today at the new location. The play is expected to be performed next summer.
The theater piece full of song, dance, music and spectacle is set against the backdrop of the fire that completely destroyed the peat area around Valthermond in May 1917. Sixteen people were killed, more than eighty houses were destroyed and hundreds of hectares of peat and peat went up in flames. The fire lasted four weeks and went down as the largest peat fire in Drenthe’s history. The piece was written by Dick van den Heuvel.
The plans for Veenbrand were already presented in 2019 with the intention of premiering a year later. The play would be performed at four locations in the Rensenpark, with a starring role for the centrally located savannah. But the corona crisis put a stop to the plans. In May, the organization announced its intention to perform the play next summer. That now seems to be working.
“Everyone involved has worked very hard over the past period to make this happen,” says producer Sjoek Nutma. “We are very grateful to our partners who have continued to support us and to people who have held on to previously purchased tickets. Without them we would not be at this point.”
According to director Andras Fictoor, the Veenpark in Barger-Compascuum is an ideal location. “When you walk across the site, you feel the history. The buildings on the site, the water and the free space give us the opportunity to create a beautiful total experience in the atmosphere we have in mind.”
Ticket sales have not yet started. People who bought and kept a ticket in 2020 can use it for next year’s performance.