The best of the year’s Dutch Theatre, with English translations! + Fresh picks from the Fringe

exclusive DRAMA FestivAl GuiDe

+ TheaTRe + MuSIC

+ lIve aRT

2-12 September 2010

Dutch

theAtRe seAson

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Dutch theAtRe FestivAlThese outstanding professional productions have been surtitled in English especially for the Dutch Theatre Festival

FRinGe hiGhliGhtsA turbulent collage of the classical, the experimental and the innovative, here’s our pick of this year’s Fringe productions

toA RouteFor one night only, Time Out Am-sterdam invites you to join us on a voyage of discovery

tickets & inFoRMAtionFinding your way around the Dutch Theatre Festival or the Amsterdam Fringe Festival needn’t be a drama. Here you’ll find details of venues and how to get your hands on tickets

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Ladies and gentlemen!September is quite the month for the arts in Amsterdam, with two con-trasting but complementary festivals to wet your thespian whistle.

First, the Dutch Theatre Festival (2-12 September) is Time Out Amsterdam’s prescription for anyone wishing to experience the greatest hits of 2010 theatre over a rewarding 11 days. Located in two very different Amsterdam institutions – the grand Stadsschouwburg and its black-box neighbour the Theater Bellevue – it brings together the best productions to have premiered in the Netherlands over the past season, and invites their stars to return for a final, triumphant curtain call.

If you’re hankering for a second viewing of that stand-out, or sold-out, show, this is the one for you. Language needn’t be a problem, either. Check page 4 for outstanding Dutch productions surtitled in English.

Prefer your performances intimate and accessible? Then check out the accompanying rough-and-ready Amsterdam Fringe Festival. Now in its fifth year, the Fringe is a sequence of creative explosions held in clubs as well as conventional theatres, out on the streets and even in living rooms. It may lack the polish of the Dutch Theater Festival, but that’s all part of the fun. There are loads of performances suitable for non-Dutch speakers (see page 5 for highlights) and, for the first time, Time Out Amsterdam is excited to present its own ‘Route’, a guided selection of performances on the evening of Friday 10 September. See page 6 for the shows that captured our imagination. See you at the theatre! Or at the bar, for that matter… Mark Smith, Stage Editor Time Out Amsterdam

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Dutch theAtRe FestivAl: lAnGuAGe no PRobleM!

Hannah & Martin Directed by Joan Nederlof

This virtuoso play examines the impossible relationship between

German nationalist-socialist Martin Heidegger (as

played by Willem de Wolf) and Jewish

philosopher Han-nah Arendt. At the same time, the actors also give voice to other

roles – including themselves as per-

formers – pondering weighty questions like

‘Is it love that conquers?’.It’s no surprise that ‘Hannah

& Martin’ has been included in the Dutch Theatre Festival official selec-tion. In the last theatre season, ac-tress Lineke Rijxman won the Theo d’Or for the best female lead for her nuanced portrayal of Arendt.

The jury praised her ‘phe-nomenal shifts, transformations, introduction of countless shades, jumping almost unnoticed from one character to the other’.

Scorched (‘Branden’) Directed by Alize Zandwijk

Nawal, mother to twins Jeanne and Simon, lies dying. Through her will, she instructs them to track down their father and the brother they never knew they had. In doing so, the siblings are confronted with the harsh realities of their own roots in a country at war. Slowly but surely, the full, harrowing truth unfolds.

Writer Wajdi Mouawad fled his war-torn homeland Lebanon at the age of nine for Canada, where he would eventually develop into an in-ternationally renowned playwright. The Ro Theater company introduced his work to a Dutch public in 2010, via Alize Zandwijk’s dar-ing production.

Dealing with the destructive legacy of war and hatred, this play was selected for inclusion in the Dutch Theatre Festival by the wijkjury, a panel of ten women from diverse cultural backgrounds and different suburbs of Amsterdam who rarely visit the theatre. They came to the same conclusion as the professional festival jurors: that this is an unmissable production.

‘Scorched’ will be performed Monday 6 & Tuesday 7 September at the Stadsschouwburg Amster-dam, 21.00. Tickets €10-€27. See page 7 for details.

‘Hannah & Martin’ will be performed Thursday 2 & Friday 3 September at Theater Bellevue, 20.30. Tickets €13-€16.50. See page 7 for details.

11 MinutesDirected by Ola Mafaalani

Aided by journalist Noraly Beyer, Mafaalani studied the world of prostitution to create this cinemato-graphic piece in which we witness life experiences connected to prosti-tution in snippets of 11 minutes.

Sound familiar? That’s because it’s a loose adaptation of the novel ‘Eleven Minutes’ by Paulo Coelho. In the lead role, Malou Gorter plays a whore who sees sex as the only way she can exert any influ-ence on the world. To do her work, she has to switch off her feelings.

This is a drama with a heart, but there’s humour too, and the staging will delight.

‘11 Minutes’ will be performed Thursday 2 & Friday 3 September at the Stadsschouwburg Amster-dam, 20.30. Tickets €10-€27. See page 7 for details.

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These outstanding profes-sional productions have been surtitled in English especially for the Dutch Theatre Festival

FoR Full listinGs see tF.nl

FRinGe FestivAl AGenDAPlucked from the turbulent collage of 60 experimen-tal and innovative shows, here’s our pick of this year’s Fringe productions

Behind These WallsA journey across Amsterdam Noord’s urban landscape, using a blend of fact and fiction to pose questions about the interrelationship of place and identity. Sign up, and you’ll be treated to encoun-ters with some colourful Amsterdam characters, but are they for real or not?

Departs Cafe De Pont, Buiksloterweg 3-5 (cafedepont.nl). Fri 3-Sat 11 18.30; Sat 4 & Sun 5, Sat 11 14.00. €5.

Brilliant LimbsRussian women, Lord Byron, Esperanto, flying bass players and live painting are the core elements of this anarchic and energetic dance performance from Dutch dance collective DASH! Ostadetheater, Van Ostadestraat 233d (ostadetheater.nl). Fri 3 & Sat 4, 20.30. €7.50.

Daddy DayTheatre-maker Bert Hana invites you into his living room to share in his recollections of a summer holiday spent with his six year-old daughter. Winner of last year’s Dioraphte Amsterdam Fringe Award

Living room of P. Langendijkstraat 50 (hetverbondtegendeliefde.nl). 1h. Thur 2 & Fri 3, Fri 10 20.00 & 21.30; Sat 4 & Sat 11, 16.00 & 22.00. €7.50.

The EventA Fringe production that’s been lauded from Adelaide to New York. Alone on stage, actor David Calvitto delivers John Clancy’s comic monologue on the topic of stage acting Ultimately, Calvitto promises to attempt the defini-tive magic trick: disappearing while remaining in full view. Melkweg, Lijnbaansgracht 234a (531 8181/melkweg.nl). Wed 8-Sat 11, 20.00. €7.50.

The Freak and the ShowgirlSexy, funny and offensive by turns,

this cabaret sideshow striptease is performed by self-styled ‘mutant comedian’ Mat Fraser and Miss Ex-otic World 2006 Julie Atlas Muz. This comes highly recommended by our friends at Time Out London. Melkweg, Lijnbaansgracht 234a (531 8181/melkweg.nl). Thu 2-Sun 5. 22.30. €7.50.

I BelieveJohan Vanderpol and Theo van Wijk will deliver a mixture of video, live per-formance and installation art. The killer gimmick? Only one audience member is admitted at a time.

Veemvloer, Van Diemenstraat 410 (638 6894/veemvloer.nl). Fri 3-Mon 6 17.00, 19.15, 21.15; Sat 4 & Sun 5 16.00, 18.15, 20.15, 22.15; Wed 8-Fri 10 18.00, 21.30; Sat 11 14.00, 21.30. €5.

John Moran & his Neigh- bour Saori in ThailandThe New York composer and his Japa-nese dancer muse return to the Fringe with a performance exploring the lights and darkness of Bangkok. Melkweg, Lijnbaansgracht 234a (531 8181/melkweg.nl). Thu 2-Sun 5 20.00. €7.50.

NIK©#2Solo performance by Nick van den Berg, or rather by his Scandinavian alter ego.

Theater Bellevue, Leidsekade 90 (523 7798/theaterbellevue.nl) Sun 5-Tue 7 20.00; Wed 8 18.00. €5.

LevellessThe WAK group is known for its uncompromisingly expressive physical theatre. After the roaring success of their last show, ‘Nothing is really difficult,’ they’re back with an intellectually tricksy performance.

Beeldentuin,Westergasfabriek (586 0710/westergasfabriek.nl). Tue 7-Fri 10 20.15; Sat 11 15.00. €7.50.

Sneaking In, SomehowThe migration dream is nothing like it seems from the other side of the border. Dimension4 Theatre presents a moving monologue accompanied by live music and storytelling. Alejandra Nettel plays illegal immigrant Lucia, a woman whose story encompasses that

of the millions who journey through the Mexican desert.

Het Fijnhouttheater, Lootsstraat 39 (618 4768/hetfijnhouttheater.nl). Wed 8-Sat 11, 19.30. €7.50.

Tokio 3.6 VA spectacular mix of grotesque sounds, subtle strings and otherworldly images takes over the Paradiso, connected by metres and metres of electrical cabling. Paradiso, Weteringschans 6-8 (626 8790/paradiso.nl). Sun 5, Tue 7 & Wed 8, 23.00. €7.50.

A Woman of No DistinctionDirect from August’s NYC Fringe, Claire Fleury performs her dark yet subtly comic monologue, which promises to be ‘an existential thriller for those with a brain.’

Hetveem Theater, Van Diemenstraat 410 (626 0112/veem.nl). Wed 8 & Fri 10, 21.30. Thur 9 & Sat 11, 19.00. €7.50.

FoR MoRe listinGs, see AMsteRDAMFRinGeFestivAl.nl

11 Minutes

Scorched (‘Branden’)

The Freak and the Showgirl

Fringe Agenda

TOA

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tiMe out AMsteRDAM FRinGe FestivAl Route

Dimmock's ‘Ninth Floor’ project, in which Dimmock spent an extended period living with a commune of heroin addicts in a New York tenement building: ‘I too have an obsession with the drug addicts,’ says Smits, ‘They’re possessed and quite often young-looking because of their frailty. I wanted to explore that feeling that you have when you see a junkie on the street.’Tim says: ‘I’ve heard this perform-ance relies heavily on audience participation… apparently people react in a really hostile way. I’m interested to see whether suppos-edly liberal Amsterdam will live up to its reputation.’Theater Bellevue, Leidsekade 90 (530 5301/theaterbellevue.nl). 19.00-19.25. €5.

Stop 2: Imperfect Draft 1Directed by Phumlani Pikoli

Centred around a young, inter-racial couple in contemporary Cape Town, our second theatrical experience is a nuanced medita-

Stop 1: MetroDirected by Cat Smits and Anne Verheij

We start our journey at Theater Bellevue, but not for long. The action happens off-site, in a location that befits a performance that’s basically an interaction between a junkie and a puppet. The unlikely pair find themselves on the border between life and death, sustain-ing one another through fleeting moments of love and happiness, while challenging society’s (often hypocritical) attitudes towards those who have fallen through the cracks. Writer/director/performer Cat Smits says she was inspired by American photographer Jessica

TicketsDutch Theatre Festival Stadsschouwburg Amsterdam, Leidseplein 26 (020 523 7798/www.tf.nl). For central box office; or book tickets online, by phone or at the venue on the day of the performance. Amsterdam Fringe Festival Theater Bellevue, Leidsekade 90 (020 523 7798/www.amsterdamfringefestival.nl). For central box office; or book tickets online, by phone or at the venue on the day of the performance.

Festival HeadquartersDutch Theatre Festival Stadsschouwburg Amsterdam, Leidseplein 26 (020 523 7798/www.tf.nl). Open daily throughout the festival from 12.00. Amsterdam Fringe Festival Theater Bellevue, Leidsekade 90 (020 523 7798/www.amster-damfringefestival.nl). Open daily throughout the festival from 12.00.

tion on the complexities of life in post-apartheid South Africa. Via heated arguments and thought-provoking conversations, the protagonists demonstrate the importance of keeping lines of communication open, whatever happens. Expect to have your own preconceptions about theatre challenged too: ‘TheImperfect-Draft1’ seeks to cross the borders of realist theatre, reveling in the absurd and the surreal. Tim says: ‘Africa and South Africa in particular has been really in vogue this year. This play prom-ises a more refined depiction than sports and vuvuzelas.’Het Fijnhouttheater, Lootsstraat 39 (618 4768/hetfijnhout.nl). 21.00-22.00. €7.50.

Stop 3: HangmanDirected by Evgeny Kozlov

This performance combines elements the Theatre of the Absurd with contemporary dance movements. Three characters from the ‘Damn Trinity’ – the Blind, the Deaf and the Dumb – play an end-less puzzle game to determine the identity of their victim. Dark stuff from Germany.Tim says: ‘I’m a fan of that Clockwork Orange aesthetic, so the idea of a trinity of white-faced, bowler-hatted performers is a bit of a draw. It’s been described as a feast for the senses – particularly interesting as I hear the three pro-tagonists represent the blind, the deaf and the dumb, respectively. Should be an interesting one!’Het Fijnhouttheater, Lootsstraat 39 (618 4768/hetfijnhout.nl). 22.30-23.30. €7.50.

Festival access needn’t be a drama

tickets & inFoRMAtion

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All aboard the Time Out Amsterdam Fringe express! Our sub-editor, Fringe fan Tim Peterson in-vites you to join him Friday 10 September a voyage of drama and discovery...

Metro

Practical Info

Hangman Brilliant Limbs

NIK©#2

Scorched (‘Branden’)

11 Minutes

Meet tiM outsiDe theAteR bellevue 18.45, FRi 10sePteMbeR

Get YouR Route ticket At AMsteRDAMFRinGeFestivAl.nl

TF is a joint initiative of the Stadsschouwburg Amsterdam, Ned-erlandse Associatie Podiumkunsten, Theater Instituut Nederland, Bureau Promotie Podiumkunsten and Hol-land Festival.

The festival receives financial contributions from SNS REAAL Fronds, VSB Fonds, Stichting DOEN, Fonds Podiumkunsten, Stichting Dioraphte, Prins Bernhard Cultuur-fonds, Gemeente Amsterdam andw Amsterdams Fonds voor de Kunst.

Commissioned by: Dutch Theatre Festival Project Editors: Pien van Gemert and Bo van Bommel.Nederlands Theater Festival Postbus 3985 1011 AT Amsterdam, www.tf.nl