BOM 2026

Archive

• BOM 2026

  17 April 202613:36 Comments Off on BOM 2026

  

  Info

  With Buurt Opera Malpertuis (BOM), local residents bring their stories and experiences to the Opera Zuid stage. Together with Tamara Jongerden (direction), Ginette Puylaert (singing and co-direction), Tim Sabel (musical direction) and Tim Stoter (children’s rehearsals) – from Studio Malpertuis, Opera Zuid’s home base – they give a glimpse into their lives. This year, the participants are creating a musical-theatrical collage performance in which Christmas plays the leading role.

  Christmas? YES/NO

  Can you look forward to celebrating a lovely, warm, communal Christmas even in the summer? Or are you glad when the winter festivities are over? Why?

  This year, all mixed feelings about Christmas and the winter festive season are welcome at the BOM on Malpertuisplein: in a cosy theatrical Christmas concert, we’ll talk and sing about why we do or don’t (want to) celebrate Christmas…

  You’re welcome: whether you’re firmly in the NO camp or passionately shouting YES. Because this festive season, we’re here for everyone!

  In the musical theatre production Kerst JA/NEE, you’ll hear the best and most beautiful classical and pop Christmas music – from the songs we’re constantly bombarded with to lesser-known pieces; from Bing Crosby and Mariah Carey to Benjamin Britten and Samuel Barber. Never heard of them? Then do come and have a listen!

  The music is performed by students from the Maastricht Conservatoire, together with the Buurt Opera Malpertuis performers.

  The BOM will be performing Kerst? JA/NEE on 14, 15 and 16 December 2026.

  More information on how to book free tickets will follow.

  The BOM is a collaboration between Opera Zuid, Conservatorium Maastricht, social enterprise Trajekt and De Kunstketel, and is made possible in part by the Elisabeth Strouven Fonds and Stichting Kanunnik Salden/Nieuwenhof.

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  TICKETS

  Info

  With Buurt Opera Malpertuis (BOM), local residents bring their stories and experiences to the Opera Zuid stage. Together with Tamara Jongerden (direction), Ginette Puylaert (singing and co-direction), Tim Sabel (musical direction) and Tim Stoter (children’s rehearsals) – from Studio Malpertuis, Opera Zuid’s home base – they give a glimpse into their lives. This year, the participants are creating a musical-theatrical collage performance in which Christmas plays the leading role.

  Christmas? YES/NO

  Can you look forward to celebrating a lovely, warm, communal Christmas even in the summer? Or are you glad when the winter festivities are over? Why?

  This year, all mixed feelings about Christmas and the winter festive season are welcome at the BOM on Malpertuisplein: in a cosy theatrical Christmas concert, we’ll talk and sing about why we do or don’t (want to) celebrate Christmas…

  You’re welcome: whether you’re firmly in the NO camp or passionately shouting YES. Because this festive season, we’re here for everyone!

  In the musical theatre production Kerst JA/NEE, you’ll hear the best and most beautiful classical and pop Christmas music – from the songs we’re constantly bombarded with to lesser-known pieces; from Bing Crosby and Mariah Carey to Benjamin Britten and Samuel Barber. Never heard of them? Then do come and have a listen!

  The music is performed by students from the Maastricht Conservatoire, together with the Buurt Opera Malpertuis performers.

  The BOM will be performing Kerst? JA/NEE on 14, 15 and 16 December 2026.

  More information on how to book free tickets will follow.

  The BOM is a collaboration between Opera Zuid, Conservatorium Maastricht, social enterprise Trajekt and De Kunstketel, and is made possible in part by the Elisabeth Strouven Fonds and Stichting Kanunnik Salden/Nieuwenhof.

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  TICKETS

  Cast

  Singing and acting	BOM-participants
  Children	BOM Kids
  Piano	Tim Sabel

  Creatives

  Direction	Tamara Jongerden, Ginette Puylaert
  Musical direction	Tim Sabel
  Vocal coaching	Ginette Puylaert
  Children’s repetitor	Tim Stoter
  Scenography	Nathalie Smeets
  Costumes	Costume atelier Opera Zuid
  Dramaturgy	Joep Hupperetz
  Production management	Kyra Bertram
  Social work	Manon Pachen (Trajekt)

  Media

  Pictures

  Video

  Partners

  

  

  

  

• Impressions de Pelléas

  3 April 202612:33 Comments Off on Impressions de Pelléas

  

  Info

  Writer Maurice Maeterlinck published his play Pelléas et Mélisande in 1892, about two half-brothers who develop feelings for the same enigmatic woman. The fairy-tale-like story, which stirs the imagination yet never fully yields its secrets, inspired composer Claude Debussy to create an innovative composition that continues to captivate audiences to this day. At its heart, the opera Pelléas et Mélisande (1902) focuses on two rival brothers, a woman, their desires and—naturally—the tragic ending that both unites them and tears them apart.

  The musical direction is in the hands of the young multi-talented Benjamin Perry Wenzelberg, who also performs one of the piano parts. Joe Hill-Gibbins, known for his austere and physical theatrical style, directs the singers in this mysterious musical narrative. The National Opera Studio is a two-year programme in which young singers and coaches are prepared for an international opera career, led by the renowned soprano Rosemary Joshua.

  Impressions de Pelléas is a co-production by Opera Zuid, De Nationale Opera and the Nederlandse Reisopera, and as such forms part of the collaboration between the three opera companies aimed at fostering talent development.

  Impressions de Pelléas lasts 95 minutes without an interval and is sung in French, with Dutch surtitles.

  TICKETS

  Info

  Writer Maurice Maeterlinck published his play Pelléas et Mélisande in 1892, about two half-brothers who develop feelings for the same enigmatic woman. The fairy-tale-like story, which stirs the imagination yet never fully yields its secrets, inspired composer Claude Debussy to create an innovative composition that continues to captivate audiences to this day. At its heart, the opera Pelléas et Mélisande (1902) focuses on two rival brothers, a woman, their desires and—naturally—the tragic ending that both unites them and tears them apart.

  The musical direction is in the hands of the young multi-talented Benjamin Perry Wenzelberg, who also performs one of the piano parts. Joe Hill-Gibbins, known for his austere and physical theatrical style, directs the singers in this mysterious musical narrative. The National Opera Studio is a two-year programme in which young singers and coaches are prepared for an international opera career, led by the renowned soprano Rosemary Joshua.

  Impressions de Pelléas is a co-production by Opera Zuid, De Nationale Opera and the Nederlandse Reisopera, and as such forms part of the collaboration between the three opera companies aimed at fostering talent development.

  Impressions de Pelléas lasts 95 minutes without an interval and is sung in French, with Dutch surtitles.

  TICKETS

  Cast

  Singing

  Singers from De Nationale Opera Studio

  Creatives

  Director	Joe Hill-Gibbins
  Musical direction	Benjamin Perry Wenzelberg

  

  Joe
  Hill-Gibbins

  Director

  

  Benjamin
  Perry Wenzelberg

  Musical direction

  Media

  Pictures

  Video

  Partners

  

  

  

• Uprising

  30 March 202616:30 Comments Off on Uprising

  

  Info

  With Uprising, Opera Zuid, in collaboration with Het Geluid Maastricht and De Nationale Opera, presents a large-scale community opera that addresses one of the defining issues of our time: the climate crisis, and above all the conversation surrounding it. On the streets, in politics, around the kitchen table, across generations and in the school playground.

  Uprising is about young people rising up for climate action, for change, and their plea for a better world. The opera tells the story of a mother and daughter who are diametrically opposed to one another, and shows how social tensions play out in personal relationships. It is a deeply human story about listening, clashing and living together.
  
  Directed by Gable Roelofsen and Romy Roelofsen, Uprising becomes a collective experience. A choir of a hundred community singers and six professional soloists together form a mini-society on stage. Professionals and amateurs stand side by side: everyone contributes to the story and the imagery. Romy: ‘Singing together begins with listening. Where listening is linked to this (climate) theme, it serves as an example of how the world could also look.’ Gable: ‘The social friction becomes part of the music’s emotional impact. Uprising is about dealing with unrest and inequality.’

  Jonathan Dove’s music is grand, lyrical and direct in its emotional power. The powerful choral singing and rich orchestral sounds make Uprising a compelling opera experience, both in the auditorium and on stage. Gable: ‘The energy bursts from the stage and there is a great deal of movement in the piece.’ Romy: ‘That is due to the impact of the subject matter and the people who perform it with heart and soul.’
  
  Uprising invites conversation, touches both mind and heart, and showcases the power of the voice.

  Uprising lasts approximately 125 minutes including an interval and is sung and spoken in English, with Dutch and English surtitles.
  
  Interview with Romy Roelofsen and Gable Roelofsen

  For twenty years, Romy Roelofsen and Gable Roelofsen have been active in musical theatre that works with communities, in Maastricht. Opera Zuid is also based in the same city, driven by the same passion for opera. For years they have been active in the same circles, but never before have they joined forces. Because a collaboration only comes about when everything falls into place. Now the time has come! Het Geluid, together with Opera Zuid and De Nationale Opera, is creating Jonathan Dove’s large-scale community opera Uprising. A work about one of the most pressing issues of our time: the climate – and, above all, the conversation surrounding it. At the kitchen table, within families and in society as a whole. With Philzuid, six professional soloists and a choir of a hundred amateurs, Uprising showcases the power of the voice, in all its forms.
  
  Why have you chosen to collaborate with Opera Zuid now – with the opera Uprising?
  Gable: ‘First and foremost, it is a wonderful work, with beautiful choral singing. Uprising is about activism, but it is – above all – also about how people interact with one another within the family and the community when there are differences of opinion.’
  Romy: ‘That’s why it’s so powerful to do this with community choirs. The choir is a mini-society of people with different opinions. Singing together starts with listening. Where listening is linked to this (climate) theme, it’s an example of what the world could also look like.’
  Gable: ‘Uprising is about dealing with unrest and inequality.’ Romy: ‘And about emancipating yourself and daring to stand up for your own opinion.’ Gable: ‘Central to the story is the relationship between a mother and daughter who do not understand each other. How does that play out at the kitchen table? Sometimes disagreeing with each other in silence. That makes it a very human, relatable opera.’
  Romy: ‘This collaboration works because together we can create a high-quality opera and show that opera is for everyone. Moreover, the process of creating together and discussing the themes is very important!’ Gable: ‘Many productions try to escape from the world. We, on the other hand, believe in a shared experience between people with different perspectives, in which you reflect on what causes friction.’
  
  Why do you enjoy working with the community on musical theatre productions?
  G: ‘We love opera very much, but we think it’s a shame that many people still see it as something that isn’t for everyone.’ R: ‘Something elitist.’ G: ‘We didn’t grow up with classical music ourselves. That’s precisely why we want to open up that world now. An extra layer of expression is released when people take to the stage who wouldn’t normally be there. That’s really celebratory.’ R: ‘I like to ask the question: how do we live together and how can we do that better? The best way to explore that question is with the people it concerns. So not just watching the play, but doing it yourself. Besides, opera can be very moving. It touches you not just in your head, but also in your heart and gut. And that’s where change happens, however small.’

  How do you approach the creative process for such a large-scale opera?
  G: ‘For us, the people are at the heart of it. We make no distinction between the professionals and the choir. Together, we will create the performance.’ R: ‘It’s all about the process. Discussing the theme and the performance is just as important as the final performance itself. During rehearsals, but also afterwards, with the audience.’
  
  How would you describe Jonathan Dove’s music in Uprising?
  R: ‘The music communicates very directly; you feel what you hear and vice versa. And the choral singing is very powerful.’ G: ‘I’d describe it as grand! Think of John Adams, Richard Wagner, a large orchestra, lyricism, rich sounds. You hear and feel the drive of the people standing up for their convictions. The energy bursts from the stage and there’s a great deal of movement in the piece.’ R: ‘That’s down to the impact of the subject matter and the people performing it with heart and soul.’

  How do you hope the audience will feel when they go home afterwards?
  G: ‘That they’ve been physically moved.’ R: ‘Yes, that they’ve been moved. I also hope that Uprising will act as a catalyst for starting conversations at people’s own kitchen tables.’ G: ‘That’s why we also hope to see grandparents in the audience with their children and grandchildren. So that all generations – just like in opera – can engage in conversation with one another about what really matters.’

  TICKETS

  Info

  With Uprising, Opera Zuid, in collaboration with Het Geluid Maastricht and De Nationale Opera, presents a large-scale community opera that addresses one of the defining issues of our time: the climate crisis, and above all the conversation surrounding it. On the streets, in politics, around the kitchen table, across generations and in the school playground.

  Uprising is about young people rising up for climate action, for change, and their plea for a better world. The opera tells the story of a mother and daughter who are diametrically opposed to one another, and shows how social tensions play out in personal relationships. It is a deeply human story about listening, clashing and living together.
  
  Directed by Gable Roelofsen and Romy Roelofsen, Uprising becomes a collective experience. A choir of a hundred community singers and six professional soloists together form a mini-society on stage. Professionals and amateurs stand side by side: everyone contributes to the story and the imagery. Romy: ‘Singing together begins with listening. Where listening is linked to this (climate) theme, it serves as an example of how the world could also look.’ Gable: ‘The social friction becomes part of the music’s emotional impact. Uprising is about dealing with unrest and inequality.’

  Jonathan Dove’s music is grand, lyrical and direct in its emotional power. The powerful choral singing and rich orchestral sounds make Uprising a compelling opera experience, both in the auditorium and on stage. Gable: ‘The energy bursts from the stage and there is a great deal of movement in the piece.’ Romy: ‘That is due to the impact of the subject matter and the people who perform it with heart and soul.’
  
  Uprising invites conversation, touches both mind and heart, and showcases the power of the voice.

  Uprising lasts approximately 125 minutes including an interval and is sung and spoken in English, with Dutch and English surtitles.
  
  Interview with Romy Roelofsen and Gable Roelofsen

  For twenty years, Romy Roelofsen and Gable Roelofsen have been active in musical theatre that works with communities, in Maastricht. Opera Zuid is also based in the same city, driven by the same passion for opera. For years they have been active in the same circles, but never before have they joined forces. Because a collaboration only comes about when everything falls into place. Now the time has come! Het Geluid, together with Opera Zuid and De Nationale Opera, is creating Jonathan Dove’s large-scale community opera Uprising. A work about one of the most pressing issues of our time: the climate – and, above all, the conversation surrounding it. At the kitchen table, within families and in society as a whole. With Philzuid, six professional soloists and a choir of a hundred amateurs, Uprising showcases the power of the voice, in all its forms.
  
  Why have you chosen to collaborate with Opera Zuid now – with the opera Uprising?
  Gable: ‘First and foremost, it is a wonderful work, with beautiful choral singing. Uprising is about activism, but it is – above all – also about how people interact with one another within the family and the community when there are differences of opinion.’
  Romy: ‘That’s why it’s so powerful to do this with community choirs. The choir is a mini-society of people with different opinions. Singing together starts with listening. Where listening is linked to this (climate) theme, it’s an example of what the world could also look like.’
  Gable: ‘Uprising is about dealing with unrest and inequality.’ Romy: ‘And about emancipating yourself and daring to stand up for your own opinion.’ Gable: ‘Central to the story is the relationship between a mother and daughter who do not understand each other. How does that play out at the kitchen table? Sometimes disagreeing with each other in silence. That makes it a very human, relatable opera.’
  Romy: ‘This collaboration works because together we can create a high-quality opera and show that opera is for everyone. Moreover, the process of creating together and discussing the themes is very important!’ Gable: ‘Many productions try to escape from the world. We, on the other hand, believe in a shared experience between people with different perspectives, in which you reflect on what causes friction.’
  
  Why do you enjoy working with the community on musical theatre productions?
  G: ‘We love opera very much, but we think it’s a shame that many people still see it as something that isn’t for everyone.’ R: ‘Something elitist.’ G: ‘We didn’t grow up with classical music ourselves. That’s precisely why we want to open up that world now. An extra layer of expression is released when people take to the stage who wouldn’t normally be there. That’s really celebratory.’ R: ‘I like to ask the question: how do we live together and how can we do that better? The best way to explore that question is with the people it concerns. So not just watching the play, but doing it yourself. Besides, opera can be very moving. It touches you not just in your head, but also in your heart and gut. And that’s where change happens, however small.’

  How do you approach the creative process for such a large-scale opera?
  G: ‘For us, the people are at the heart of it. We make no distinction between the professionals and the choir. Together, we will create the performance.’ R: ‘It’s all about the process. Discussing the theme and the performance is just as important as the final performance itself. During rehearsals, but also afterwards, with the audience.’
  
  How would you describe Jonathan Dove’s music in Uprising?
  R: ‘The music communicates very directly; you feel what you hear and vice versa. And the choral singing is very powerful.’ G: ‘I’d describe it as grand! Think of John Adams, Richard Wagner, a large orchestra, lyricism, rich sounds. You hear and feel the drive of the people standing up for their convictions. The energy bursts from the stage and there’s a great deal of movement in the piece.’ R: ‘That’s down to the impact of the subject matter and the people performing it with heart and soul.’

  How do you hope the audience will feel when they go home afterwards?
  G: ‘That they’ve been physically moved.’ R: ‘Yes, that they’ve been moved. I also hope that Uprising will act as a catalyst for starting conversations at people’s own kitchen tables.’ G: ‘That’s why we also hope to see grandparents in the audience with their children and grandchildren. So that all generations – just like in opera – can engage in conversation with one another about what really matters.’

  TICKETS

  Cast

  Lola Green	Madeline Saputra
  Angela Green	Ingeborg Bröcheler
  Clive Green	Quirijn de Lang
  Zoe Green	Yulietta Quevedo
  Quercus	Joe Chalmers
  Koor	Community choir Zuid
  Orchestra	Philzuid

  

  Madeline
  Saputra

  Lola Green

  Website

  

  Ingeborg
  Bröcheler

  Angela Green

  Website

  

  Quirijn
  de Lang

  Clive Green

  Website

  

  Yulietta
  Quevedo

  Zoe Green

  Website

  

  Joe
  Chalmers

  Quercus

  

  Philzuid

  Orchestra

  Website

  Creatives

  Conductor	Manoj Kamps
  Directors	Romy Roelofsen & Gable Roelofsen
  Scenography	Davy van Gerven
  Costume design	Benjamin Aerts
  Light design	Glen D’haenens
  Choreography	t.b.a.
  Dramaturgy	Willem Bruls
  Dramaturgy	Joep Hupperetz
  Community choir leader adults	Martin Wright
  Community choir leader youth	Claudia Franzen

  

  Manoj
  Kamps

  Conductor

  Website

  

  Romy
  Roelofsen & Gable Roelofsen

  Directors

  Website

  

  Davy
  van Gerven

  Scenography

  Website

  

  Benjamin
  Aerts

  Costume design

  Website

  

  Glen
  D’haenens

  Light design

  

  Willem
  Bruls

  Dramaturgy

  

  Joep
  Hupperetz

  Dramaturgy

  

  Martin
  Wright

  Community choir leader adults

  

  Claudia
  Franzen

  Community choir leader youth

  Media

  Pictures

  Video

• Frau Luna

  16:03 Comments Off on Frau Luna

  

  Info

  With Paul Lincke’s Frau Luna, Opera Zuid brings an irresistible Berlin operetta to Dutch theatres. Director Steef de Jong makes his debut with Opera Zuid with this production and demonstrates why this genre is very much alive. In a fully Dutch adaptation by Paulien Cornelisse, Frau Luna comes to life as an imaginative, playful and invigorating performance.

  In Frau Luna, a group of young dreamers become captivated by the moon. They build an airship and set off in search of the ‘man in the moon’. There, they find themselves in the wondrous world of Frau Luna, where freedom, love and imagination rule. Old conventions fade away, new desires blossom, and nothing is what it seems. Or… does the moon world ultimately turn out to be an imaginative reflection of life on Earth after all?

  Steef de Jong deliberately opts for a visible theatrical illusion: using cardboard, strings and inventive theatrical touches, the singers construct an entire (lunar) world on stage. ‘I enjoy creating a world that is the polar opposite of our own. Especially at a time when all the misery is getting you down, there is a growing need for light-heartedness, lightness, joy, and taking flight: literally to the moon! In that respect, the song Ist die Welt auch noch so schön strikes at the heart of the operetta: the world will come to an end one day, so you might as well dance and sing now!’

  The energetic, timeless music, featuring swinging march rhythms and cabaret-style influences, is performed by Philzuid, under the baton of musical director Enrico Delamboye.

  Frau Luna lasts approximately 150 minutes, including an interval, and is performed in Dutch, with English surtitles.

  Interview with director Steef de Jong
  
  Ever since he was a child, the sunny three-quarter time of the New Year’s concerts has filled him with joy. Whilst studying at art college, he discovered just how fascinating opera is. But it was only when he listened to his grandparents’ dusty LPs that everything fell into place: operetta touched him deeply and became his greatest source of inspiration. One title has been at the top of his wish list for years: Frau Luna by Paul Lincke.
  Prepare to be surprised by an imaginative, humorous journey to the moon, full of cheerful music and witty wordplay; the script was penned by none other than Paulien Cornelisse. Naturally, the cardboard illusions so characteristic of Steef’s work will not be missing!

  Why do you want to bring Frau Luna to Dutch theatres?
  ‘This operetta is pure fantasy and offers plenty of scope to let your imagination run wild and escape to another world. Frau Luna is brimming with funny characters, intrigue and romance. Amidst all the madness, a wide range of themes are explored: the stranger who knocks on the door, gender and sexual freedom, the question of what ‘home’ is, and whether one should always strive for more. It is my mission to show just how wonderful operetta is. With Frau Luna, it will surely succeed.’

  What is it about operetta that appeals to you so much?
  ‘This music makes you happy. At the same time, operetta is about people themselves, about how they interact with one another, or how they view power. It is often satirical, playful and humorous. That is why we are performing Frau Luna entirely in Dutch; this allows the language and music to connect directly with the audience. What’s more, the music is timeless. Certainly this Berlin operetta. It sounds a bit rougher and swingier than its Viennese counterpart. No sweet waltzes, but energetic march rhythms, jazz influences and a cabaret atmosphere. The music of Frau Luna marks the beginning of an era in which musical genres began to merge; popular music and jazz influences blend with the classical origins of operetta. Frau Luna has itself been a major source of inspiration! The famous melody of ‘A Trip Along the Rhine’ comes from this operetta.’

  So Frau Luna is being translated entirely into Dutch?
  ‘Yes, I think it’s important that there’s no language barrier. For me, the dialogue and songs need to flow seamlessly into one another. That’s why everything is being translated by Paulien Cornelisse. She’s a master of language and knows how to incorporate all the key themes in a humorous way. To gain a better understanding of the play, we first act it out together using Playmobil at her kitchen table. Then she starts writing, and I respond to that. That’s how we arrive at the final result together.’

  What does your production of Frau Luna look like?
  ‘Theatre is the perfect medium for opening the door to the world of imagination. That’s why my Frau Luna is also about the theatre itself: a group of singers who are going to perform the operetta Frau Luna on stage, in their own little theatre. Using, inevitably, cardboard, strings and things on wheels, they’re busy building that world and telling a funny story about a group of people travelling to the moon. You’re allowed , in my view, to see how the illusion is created, but the illusion must still be there. Just like in a pop-up book. I also enjoy creating a world that’s the polar opposite of our own. Especially at a time when all the misery is getting you down. That’s why operetta is flourishing again. When the world descends into darkness, the need for light-heartedness, lightness, joy and taking flight – literally to the moon! – grows. In that respect, the song Ist die Welt auch noch so schön strikes at the heart of the operetta: the world will come to an end one day, so you might as well dance and sing now!’

  Do you hope the audience will walk out afterwards, dancing and singing?
  ‘Yes! I hope the audience feels uplifted, and only when they go home, very slowly, come back down to earth. Ultimately, of course, we have to be able to cope with reality again; Frau Luna can help with that. I also hope people say to one another: “It’s unbelievable that we didn’t know about this; I want to experience this again!”’

  TICKETS

  Info

  With Paul Lincke’s Frau Luna, Opera Zuid brings an irresistible Berlin operetta to Dutch theatres. Director Steef de Jong makes his debut with Opera Zuid with this production and demonstrates why this genre is very much alive. In a fully Dutch adaptation by Paulien Cornelisse, Frau Luna comes to life as an imaginative, playful and invigorating performance.

  In Frau Luna, a group of young dreamers become captivated by the moon. They build an airship and set off in search of the ‘man in the moon’. There, they find themselves in the wondrous world of Frau Luna, where freedom, love and imagination rule. Old conventions fade away, new desires blossom, and nothing is what it seems. Or… does the moon world ultimately turn out to be an imaginative reflection of life on Earth after all?

  Steef de Jong deliberately opts for a visible theatrical illusion: using cardboard, strings and inventive theatrical touches, the singers construct an entire (lunar) world on stage. ‘I enjoy creating a world that is the polar opposite of our own. Especially at a time when all the misery is getting you down, there is a growing need for light-heartedness, lightness, joy, and taking flight: literally to the moon! In that respect, the song Ist die Welt auch noch so schön strikes at the heart of the operetta: the world will come to an end one day, so you might as well dance and sing now!’

  The energetic, timeless music, featuring swinging march rhythms and cabaret-style influences, is performed by Philzuid, under the baton of musical director Enrico Delamboye.

  Frau Luna lasts approximately 150 minutes, including an interval, and is performed in Dutch, with English surtitles.

  Interview with director Steef de Jong
  
  Ever since he was a child, the sunny three-quarter time of the New Year’s concerts has filled him with joy. Whilst studying at art college, he discovered just how fascinating opera is. But it was only when he listened to his grandparents’ dusty LPs that everything fell into place: operetta touched him deeply and became his greatest source of inspiration. One title has been at the top of his wish list for years: Frau Luna by Paul Lincke.
  Prepare to be surprised by an imaginative, humorous journey to the moon, full of cheerful music and witty wordplay; the script was penned by none other than Paulien Cornelisse. Naturally, the cardboard illusions so characteristic of Steef’s work will not be missing!

  Why do you want to bring Frau Luna to Dutch theatres?
  ‘This operetta is pure fantasy and offers plenty of scope to let your imagination run wild and escape to another world. Frau Luna is brimming with funny characters, intrigue and romance. Amidst all the madness, a wide range of themes are explored: the stranger who knocks on the door, gender and sexual freedom, the question of what ‘home’ is, and whether one should always strive for more. It is my mission to show just how wonderful operetta is. With Frau Luna, it will surely succeed.’

  What is it about operetta that appeals to you so much?
  ‘This music makes you happy. At the same time, operetta is about people themselves, about how they interact with one another, or how they view power. It is often satirical, playful and humorous. That is why we are performing Frau Luna entirely in Dutch; this allows the language and music to connect directly with the audience. What’s more, the music is timeless. Certainly this Berlin operetta. It sounds a bit rougher and swingier than its Viennese counterpart. No sweet waltzes, but energetic march rhythms, jazz influences and a cabaret atmosphere. The music of Frau Luna marks the beginning of an era in which musical genres began to merge; popular music and jazz influences blend with the classical origins of operetta. Frau Luna has itself been a major source of inspiration! The famous melody of ‘A Trip Along the Rhine’ comes from this operetta.’

  So Frau Luna is being translated entirely into Dutch?
  ‘Yes, I think it’s important that there’s no language barrier. For me, the dialogue and songs need to flow seamlessly into one another. That’s why everything is being translated by Paulien Cornelisse. She’s a master of language and knows how to incorporate all the key themes in a humorous way. To gain a better understanding of the play, we first act it out together using Playmobil at her kitchen table. Then she starts writing, and I respond to that. That’s how we arrive at the final result together.’

  What does your production of Frau Luna look like?
  ‘Theatre is the perfect medium for opening the door to the world of imagination. That’s why my Frau Luna is also about the theatre itself: a group of singers who are going to perform the operetta Frau Luna on stage, in their own little theatre. Using, inevitably, cardboard, strings and things on wheels, they’re busy building that world and telling a funny story about a group of people travelling to the moon. You’re allowed , in my view, to see how the illusion is created, but the illusion must still be there. Just like in a pop-up book. I also enjoy creating a world that’s the polar opposite of our own. Especially at a time when all the misery is getting you down. That’s why operetta is flourishing again. When the world descends into darkness, the need for light-heartedness, lightness, joy and taking flight – literally to the moon! – grows. In that respect, the song Ist die Welt auch noch so schön strikes at the heart of the operetta: the world will come to an end one day, so you might as well dance and sing now!’

  Do you hope the audience will walk out afterwards, dancing and singing?
  ‘Yes! I hope the audience feels uplifted, and only when they go home, very slowly, come back down to earth. Ultimately, of course, we have to be able to cope with reality again; Frau Luna can help with that. I also hope people say to one another: “It’s unbelievable that we didn’t know about this; I want to experience this again!”’

  TICKETS

  Cast

  Frau Luna	Lilian Farahani
  Marie	Laetitia Gerardts
  Fritz Steppke	t.b.a.
  Prinz Sternschnuppe	Denzil Delaere
  Theophil	Raoul Steffani
  Frau Pusebach	Lien Haegeman
  Stella	t.b.a.
  Venus, Mars, Mondgroom	Arturo den Hartog
  Lämmermeier	Fabian Homburg
  Pannecke	n.t.b.
  Choir	Theatre choir Opera Zuid
  Orchestra	Philzuid

  

  Lilian
  Farahani

  Frau Luna

  Website

  

  Laetitia
  Gerardts

  Marie

  Website

  

  Denzil
  Delaere

  Prinz Sternschnuppe

  Website

  

  Raoul
  Steffani

  Theophil

  Website

  

  Lien
  Haegeman

  Frau Pusebach

  

  Arturo
  den Hartog

  Venus, Mars, Mondgroom

  

  Fabian
  Homburg

  Lämmermeier

  

  Philzuid

  Orchestra

  Website

  Creatives

  Conductor	Enrico Delamboye
  Director, set- and costume design	Steef de Jong
  Light design	t.b.a.
  Choreography	Martin Michel
  Dramaturgy	Joep Hupperetz

  

  Enrico
  Delamboye

  Conductor

  Website

  

  Steef
  de Jong

  Director, set- and costume design

  Website

  

  Martin
  Michel

  Choreography

  

  Joep
  Hupperetz

  Dramaturgy

  Media

  Pictures

  Video

• Atman! (8+)

  15:46 Comments Off on Atman! (8+)

  Leonard Evers and Bart Moeyaert discuss Atman! in detail.

  > Podcast NPO Klassiek

  ‘It feels a bit like sitting round a campfire listening to a tale of adventure. […] The music really helps you get a sense of how Atman feels.’

  > Recensie Place de l’Opera

  ‘There’s only one home.’

  > Review De Standaard

  When the journey is more exciting than the destination.

  > Review de Volkskrant

  ‘The story of the youth opera Atman! is a brief one, but the rich, evocative language of librettist Bart Moeyaert (both sung and spoken) and the inventive music of composer Leonard Evers make Atman! an impressionistic, multi-layered journey.’

  > Review NRC

  ‘What if you’ve lost your way? What if you’ve got your key in your pocket, but you can’t remember where your house is?’

  > Interview Bart Moeyaert in Tijdschrift Lezen

  

  Info

  Opera Zuid, De Nationale Opera en de Nederlandse Reisopera presenteren Atman!, een muzikale vertelling die grenst aan het ongelooflijke.
  
  De negenjarige Atman raakt verdwaald in zijn eigen stad. Hij heeft de sleutel van thuis op zak, maar weet niet meer waar hij woont. Op straat vraagt hij raad. Een man heeft geen tijd (‘Vraag het me morgen nog eens’). Een vrouw neemt hem mee (‘Jonges as jouw zijn goeie matroze’). Maar Atman wil naar huis, niet de oceaan over. Wat begint als een eenvoudig verzoek (‘Weet u welke kant ik op moet?’) wordt een tocht met omwegen en hindernissen die voor een jongen van negen soms onoverkomelijk lijken – of nee: zijn. Componist Leonard Evers en schrijver Bart Moeyaert geven deze reis vorm in muziek en taal.

  One-man orchestra
  Leonard Evers previously wrote the children’s opera Goud! for Opera Zuid and De Nationale Opera. It has been performed throughout Europe since 2012. His other operas include Odyssee and Kriebel (2+). In Atman!, Evers makes full use of the accordion’s potential: the ultimate one-man orchestra and wandering instrument.

  For this production, he is collaborating with the acclaimed writer Bart Moeyaert, known for novels such as Broere and Een ander leven. His literary work has received international acclaim, and he has won, among other awards, the Flemish Culture Prize, the Woutertje Pieterse Prize and the prestigious Astrid Lindgren Memorial Award, the highest honour in children’s literature. The libretto of Atman! was also published in book form and won the Woutertje Pieterse Prize for Children’s Literature in 2026.

  Moeyaert on Atman!: ‘I felt the freedom to put music down on paper. Music in the sense of text that is rhythmically musical, that rhymes or doesn’t, that is atonal – at least in my view.’ For Evers, music is the gateway to a boundless world, where he encounters styles, characters and sometimes himself. With just one accordionist and one singer, he manages to bring this adventurous story to life. It is in this purity that the power of Atman! lies. ‘I hope that the audience will recognise something – a feeling – as if a light were coming on somewhere. That is the challenge for me as a composer: to ensure that everything that is said and felt on stage is also felt by the audience.’

  Atman! is directed by Annemiek van Elst, who works with various national and international opera houses. In 2022, Van Elst created and directed the staged Liederabend Eternal Road at Opera Zuid, which explores the life of composer Kurt Weill.

  Atman! is a co-production with Dutch National Opera and Nederlandse Reisopera.

  Atman! duurt ongeveer één uur en wordt gezongen en gesproken in het Nederlands.

  A CONVERSATION WITH COMPOSER LEONARD EVERS AND LIBRETTIST BART MOEYAERT

  When writer Bart Moeyaert and composer Leonard Evers set to work, the piece becomes part of their lives. For a moment, nothing else exists. Atman!, a (youth) opera in which a young boy has lost his home, is the latest project to which they have devoted themselves. ‘If the children in the audience feel that they want to be part of the world unfolding on stage, then we’ve done a good job.’

  Atman! is a brand-new opera. What is the story about?
  Leonard: ‘Atman! is about feeling lost, about searching for a home.’
  Bart: ‘What is home? A house with an “h” in front of it? The place where you were born, where you live, where you have breakfast? Or is it a feeling inside? Can you feel at home somewhere you don’t live, for example by thinking of your mother or the cat dozing on the windowsill?’
  Leonard: ‘Bart gives that a very poetic, fairy-tale-like interpretation.’

  And what will that sound like?
  Leonard: ‘For me, music has always been the gateway to a truly adventurous and boundless world. I see composing as a quest, in which I’m open to all sorts of influences. The result is an account of an incredible experience in which I encounter all kinds of styles. I hope that the audience will recognise something in my music, as if a light were switching on somewhere. I try to achieve that by exploring how the character feels. What does an incredible craving for chips sound like to me, for example? From there, I start sketching and then I stay as close as possible to the rhythm of the language.’

  Is there a message you’d like to convey to the audience?
  Bart: ‘I’d love it if our audience reflected on: what is my home? That people take a moment after the show to think about what they’ve experienced in the theatre.’
  Leonard: ‘The beauty of theatre is that, as a spectator, you find yourself in a world you don’t yet know. But one in which – if all goes well – you do recognise things or feel something you sometimes feel in real life too. Theatre enables you to experience and feel things that you might not normally dare to face or that you might normally suppress.’
  Bart: ‘In the theatre, you agree: we’re going to believe what’s happening now and we’re not going to explain it. Perhaps tomorrow or in a week’s time you’ll realise: oh, that was it, that’s what it meant. That’s what I love about theatre.’
  Leonard: ‘Music helps you not to want to explain everything straight away, but to first experience what’s happening. That’s the challenge for me as a composer: to ensure that everything that’s said and felt on stage is also felt by the audience.’

  Is it different to write an opera for young people?
  Bart: ‘I don’t write any differently just because it’s for young people. I write with a voice. I hear the voice of a little boy who’s about eight years old. He’s going to tell the story. Sometimes there’s a four-syllable word in there. Oops! [laughing] But because of the other words around it, you can actually understand that word. This opera is for everyone!’
  Leonard: ‘I agree. But when composing for young people, I’m even more precise. Integrity in the music is even more important. With children, I really have to be completely myself, otherwise they won’t buy it. Of course, that’s true for adults too, but they don’t walk out during a performance to do something more interesting. A younger audience does!’
  Bart: ‘That reminds me of a performance of Die Zauberflöte I saw in Frankfurt. A quarter of the audience were children, and it was the children who stripped the adults of their veneer. They stood on their chairs, tugged at their parents’ sleeves: look over there, listen! That staid atmosphere of ‘opera is serious’ was completely shattered. That’s what I want.’
  Leonard: ‘At a performance of my show Kriebel, which I created together with Oorkaan, a little girl ran onto the stage to dance with the dancer. Her mother pulled her away immediately. I thought that was such a shame! That’s exactly what you want: for your audience to feel so drawn to that world that they think: I want to be part of that, I belong there.’
  Bart: ‘My text says something like: come closer, come and join me.’

  So there’ll be one accordionist, one singer and as many as 100 children on stage who want to get involved?
  Leonard: ‘Yes, you have to have that feeling! If I’m not that involved in what’s happening on stage, then something’s wrong.’
  Bart: ‘Or I’m so overwhelmed that I just let it wash over me – with my mouth open – and then I’ll do something with it later. That’s nice too.’

  TICKETS

  Info

  Opera Zuid, De Nationale Opera en de Nederlandse Reisopera presenteren Atman!, een muzikale vertelling die grenst aan het ongelooflijke.
  
  De negenjarige Atman raakt verdwaald in zijn eigen stad. Hij heeft de sleutel van thuis op zak, maar weet niet meer waar hij woont. Op straat vraagt hij raad. Een man heeft geen tijd (‘Vraag het me morgen nog eens’). Een vrouw neemt hem mee (‘Jonges as jouw zijn goeie matroze’). Maar Atman wil naar huis, niet de oceaan over. Wat begint als een eenvoudig verzoek (‘Weet u welke kant ik op moet?’) wordt een tocht met omwegen en hindernissen die voor een jongen van negen soms onoverkomelijk lijken – of nee: zijn. Componist Leonard Evers en schrijver Bart Moeyaert geven deze reis vorm in muziek en taal.

  One-man orchestra
  Leonard Evers previously wrote the children’s opera Goud! for Opera Zuid and De Nationale Opera. It has been performed throughout Europe since 2012. His other operas include Odyssee and Kriebel (2+). In Atman!, Evers makes full use of the accordion’s potential: the ultimate one-man orchestra and wandering instrument.

  For this production, he is collaborating with the acclaimed writer Bart Moeyaert, known for novels such as Broere and Een ander leven. His literary work has received international acclaim, and he has won, among other awards, the Flemish Culture Prize, the Woutertje Pieterse Prize and the prestigious Astrid Lindgren Memorial Award, the highest honour in children’s literature. The libretto of Atman! was also published in book form and won the Woutertje Pieterse Prize for Children’s Literature in 2026.

  Moeyaert on Atman!: ‘I felt the freedom to put music down on paper. Music in the sense of text that is rhythmically musical, that rhymes or doesn’t, that is atonal – at least in my view.’ For Evers, music is the gateway to a boundless world, where he encounters styles, characters and sometimes himself. With just one accordionist and one singer, he manages to bring this adventurous story to life. It is in this purity that the power of Atman! lies. ‘I hope that the audience will recognise something – a feeling – as if a light were coming on somewhere. That is the challenge for me as a composer: to ensure that everything that is said and felt on stage is also felt by the audience.’

  Atman! is directed by Annemiek van Elst, who works with various national and international opera houses. In 2022, Van Elst created and directed the staged Liederabend Eternal Road at Opera Zuid, which explores the life of composer Kurt Weill.

  Atman! is a co-production with Dutch National Opera and Nederlandse Reisopera.

  Atman! duurt ongeveer één uur en wordt gezongen en gesproken in het Nederlands.

  A CONVERSATION WITH COMPOSER LEONARD EVERS AND LIBRETTIST BART MOEYAERT

  When writer Bart Moeyaert and composer Leonard Evers set to work, the piece becomes part of their lives. For a moment, nothing else exists. Atman!, a (youth) opera in which a young boy has lost his home, is the latest project to which they have devoted themselves. ‘If the children in the audience feel that they want to be part of the world unfolding on stage, then we’ve done a good job.’

  Atman! is a brand-new opera. What is the story about?
  Leonard: ‘Atman! is about feeling lost, about searching for a home.’
  Bart: ‘What is home? A house with an “h” in front of it? The place where you were born, where you live, where you have breakfast? Or is it a feeling inside? Can you feel at home somewhere you don’t live, for example by thinking of your mother or the cat dozing on the windowsill?’
  Leonard: ‘Bart gives that a very poetic, fairy-tale-like interpretation.’

  And what will that sound like?
  Leonard: ‘For me, music has always been the gateway to a truly adventurous and boundless world. I see composing as a quest, in which I’m open to all sorts of influences. The result is an account of an incredible experience in which I encounter all kinds of styles. I hope that the audience will recognise something in my music, as if a light were switching on somewhere. I try to achieve that by exploring how the character feels. What does an incredible craving for chips sound like to me, for example? From there, I start sketching and then I stay as close as possible to the rhythm of the language.’

  Is there a message you’d like to convey to the audience?
  Bart: ‘I’d love it if our audience reflected on: what is my home? That people take a moment after the show to think about what they’ve experienced in the theatre.’
  Leonard: ‘The beauty of theatre is that, as a spectator, you find yourself in a world you don’t yet know. But one in which – if all goes well – you do recognise things or feel something you sometimes feel in real life too. Theatre enables you to experience and feel things that you might not normally dare to face or that you might normally suppress.’
  Bart: ‘In the theatre, you agree: we’re going to believe what’s happening now and we’re not going to explain it. Perhaps tomorrow or in a week’s time you’ll realise: oh, that was it, that’s what it meant. That’s what I love about theatre.’
  Leonard: ‘Music helps you not to want to explain everything straight away, but to first experience what’s happening. That’s the challenge for me as a composer: to ensure that everything that’s said and felt on stage is also felt by the audience.’

  Is it different to write an opera for young people?
  Bart: ‘I don’t write any differently just because it’s for young people. I write with a voice. I hear the voice of a little boy who’s about eight years old. He’s going to tell the story. Sometimes there’s a four-syllable word in there. Oops! [laughing] But because of the other words around it, you can actually understand that word. This opera is for everyone!’
  Leonard: ‘I agree. But when composing for young people, I’m even more precise. Integrity in the music is even more important. With children, I really have to be completely myself, otherwise they won’t buy it. Of course, that’s true for adults too, but they don’t walk out during a performance to do something more interesting. A younger audience does!’
  Bart: ‘That reminds me of a performance of Die Zauberflöte I saw in Frankfurt. A quarter of the audience were children, and it was the children who stripped the adults of their veneer. They stood on their chairs, tugged at their parents’ sleeves: look over there, listen! That staid atmosphere of ‘opera is serious’ was completely shattered. That’s what I want.’
  Leonard: ‘At a performance of my show Kriebel, which I created together with Oorkaan, a little girl ran onto the stage to dance with the dancer. Her mother pulled her away immediately. I thought that was such a shame! That’s exactly what you want: for your audience to feel so drawn to that world that they think: I want to be part of that, I belong there.’
  Bart: ‘My text says something like: come closer, come and join me.’

  So there’ll be one accordionist, one singer and as many as 100 children on stage who want to get involved?
  Leonard: ‘Yes, you have to have that feeling! If I’m not that involved in what’s happening on stage, then something’s wrong.’
  Bart: ‘Or I’m so overwhelmed that I just let it wash over me – with my mouth open – and then I’ll do something with it later. That’s nice too.’

  TICKETS

  Cast

  Singing	Liza Vjera Lozica
  Singing	Isabel Pronk
  Accordion	Kaat Vanhaverbeke

  

  Liza
  Vjera Lozica

  Singing

  Website

  

  Isabel
  Pronk

  Singing

  Website

  

  Kaat
  Vanhaverbeke

  Accordion

  Website

  Creatives

  Composition	Leonard Evers
  Libretto	Bart Moeyaert
  Director	Annemiek van Elst
  Set design	Douwe Hibma
  Costume design	Maartje Prins
  Light design	Cor van den Brink
  Dramaturgy	Joep Hupperetz
  Dramaturgy	Wout van Tongeren
  Direction assistant	Eva Graaff

  

  Leonard
  Evers

  Composition

  Website

  

  Bart
  Moeyaert

  Libretto

  Website

  

  Annemiek
  van Elst

  Director

  Website

  

  Douwe
  Hibma

  Set design

  Website

  

  Maartje
  Prins

  Costume design

  Website

  

  Cor
  van den Brink

  Light design

  

  Joep
  Hupperetz

  Dramaturgy

  Website

  

  Wout
  van Tongeren

  Dramaturgy

  Website

  

  Eva
  Graaff

  Direction assistant

  Media

  Leonard Evers and Bart Moeyaert discuss Atman! in detail.

  Podcast NPO Klassiek

  ‘It feels a bit like sitting round a campfire listening to a tale of adventure. […] The music really helps you get a sense of how Atman feels.’

  Recensie Place de l’Opera

  ‘There’s only one home.’

  Review De Standaard

  When the journey is more exciting than the destination.

  Review de Volkskrant

  ‘The story of the youth opera Atman! is a brief one, but the rich, evocative language of librettist Bart Moeyaert (both sung and spoken) and the inventive music of composer Leonard Evers make Atman! an impressionistic, multi-layered journey.’

  Review NRC

  ‘What if you’ve lost your way? What if you’ve got your key in your pocket, but you can’t remember where your house is?’

  Interview Bart Moeyaert in Tijdschrift Lezen

  Pictures

  

  

  

  

  

  

  

  

  

  Video

  Partners

  

  

  

• Happy End (BOM 2025-2026)

  7 May 202515:42 Comments Off on Happy End (BOM 2025-2026)

  Happy End

  > Programme booklet

  

  Info

  Will there still be singing in dark times?*

  With Buurt Opera Malpertuis (BOM), local residents bring their stories and experiences to the Opera Zuid stage. Together with Tamara Jongerden (direction), Ginette Puylaert (singing and co-direction), Tim Sabel (musical direction) and Tim Stoter (children’s rehearsals) – from Studio Malpertuis, Opera Zuid’s home base – they give a glimpse into their lives. This year, the participants create a music-theatrical collage performance in which the music of Kurt Weill takes centre stage.

  Happy End

  How do you keep your spirits up when life is tough?

  It’s busy in the radio recording studio. Actors and singers are waiting for their turn; they drink coffee, check their scripts again and exchange the latest news. Recording manager Henk keeps up the pace in good spirits, because everyone has to be ready before curfew, with the recordings of the radio play Happy End:
  
  In this radio play sister Lilian of the Salvation Army has one goal: to bring people onto the straight and narrow. But then she meets Bill, who is about to rob a bank. Will the story of peace-loving Lilian and criminal Bill have a happy ending?

  And what about us? Do we get a happy ending – when things are tough, when the world is giving us a hard time? Is there still singing in dark times? Yes, if it is up to the BOM participants. They will provide a happy ending to their stories themselves.

  This BOM performance focuses on the music of Kurt Weill, particularly from the musical theatre piece Happy End. The musical accompaniment is provided by an ensemble consisting of young, talented students from the Maastricht Conservatory.
  
  BOM will play performances of Happy End on 21, 22 and 25 January 2026.
  Admission is free, but reservations are required. Click on ‘Tickets’ in the Playlist.
  There are a limited number of places, so when it’s fully booked there will be a waiting list in case tickets become available again.

  The BOM is a collaboration between Opera Zuid, Conservatorium Maastricht, Trajekt and the Kunstketel and is made possible by Elisabeth Strouven Fonds and Stichting Kanunnik Salden/Nieuwenhof.

  *from Bertolt Brecht’s An die Nachgeborenen.

  IN CONVERSATION WITH MUSICAL DIRECTOR TIM SABEL AND CHILDREN’S REHEARSAL DIRECTOR TIM STOTER

  What makes Buurt Opera Malpertuis so special?
  Tim Sabel: ‘The BOM performances are based on the words, movements, stories of the people who participate. They share their life experiences on stage, with each other and with the audience. That we make opera – art – out of that together, I find incredibly moving and special.’
  Tim Stoter: ‘I think it’s great that there’s a very friendly atmosphere at BOM and at the same time it’s incredibly professional. Apart from that, I mainly work with the children. I love noticing how they too find each other, regardless of their different backgrounds, ages and situations. I haven’t seen such a diverse group become so close so quickly.’

  How does that work; making a new opera with people with no opera experience?
  Tim Sabel: ‘We make a collage performance around a theme that comes from the group itself. We choose music together and build the story through personal conversations and stories, acting, singing and movement. The participants play themselves, which makes it personal, direct and sometimes confrontational.
  This year we are working mainly with music by the composer Kurt Weill. His work has an enormous eloquence, which fits well with BOM. We therefore work specifically on: what do you want to say, with what colour, with what intention, with what look in your eyes?’

  What does it mean for the participants to make music with (semi-)professionals?
  Tim Sabel: ‘The story they tell on stage – their own story – is lifted to a kind of next level to the max by the accompaniment of the musicians of the Maastricht Academy of Music. When, after months of rehearsals with only piano accompaniment, the live music of the ensemble joins in, everyone is enormously impressed. The musicians literally support and reinforce their singing, text, movement and story. The performance becomes real.’
  Tim Stoter: ‘And I believe it also gives a boost. You do feel like a star when there is a whole ensemble playing music behind you, while you are in the spotlight with your beautiful costume on, in a cool setting!’

  What does it do to children to participate in the neighbourhood opera?
  Tim Stoter: ‘It’s great to see how those kids grow. They come in with little to no theatre experience, so everything is new. In the beginning, the concept of an audience and a stage is still very elusive (Why do I have to sing in that direction? Why do I have to come up at that exact moment? Why can’t I just talk in the wings?), but once there is a real audience, everything falls into place. Every child develops, in his or her own way. Mega fun!’
  Tim Sabel: ‘Parents also notice a difference: children talk louder, are more confident. And at the end of the process, after the performances, their world collapses a little bit. No more BOM rehearsals?!’

  ---

  Tim Stoter: ‘Right! They were really sad when it was finished last year. The whole process of making theatre was a tremendous eye-opener for all the children. It’s a good thing we soon started the workshops and rehearsals again.’

  Tim Stoter: ‘Right! They were really sad when it was finished last year. The whole process of making theatre was a tremendous eye-opener for all the children. It’s a good thing we soon started the workshops and rehearsals again.’

  TICKETS

  Info

  Will there still be singing in dark times?*

  With Buurt Opera Malpertuis (BOM), local residents bring their stories and experiences to the Opera Zuid stage. Together with Tamara Jongerden (direction), Ginette Puylaert (singing and co-direction), Tim Sabel (musical direction) and Tim Stoter (children’s rehearsals) – from Studio Malpertuis, Opera Zuid’s home base – they give a glimpse into their lives. This year, the participants create a music-theatrical collage performance in which the music of Kurt Weill takes centre stage.

  Happy End

  How do you keep your spirits up when life is tough?

  It’s busy in the radio recording studio. Actors and singers are waiting for their turn; they drink coffee, check their scripts again and exchange the latest news. Recording manager Henk keeps up the pace in good spirits, because everyone has to be ready before curfew, with the recordings of the radio play Happy End:
  
  In this radio play sister Lilian of the Salvation Army has one goal: to bring people onto the straight and narrow. But then she meets Bill, who is about to rob a bank. Will the story of peace-loving Lilian and criminal Bill have a happy ending?

  And what about us? Do we get a happy ending – when things are tough, when the world is giving us a hard time? Is there still singing in dark times? Yes, if it is up to the BOM participants. They will provide a happy ending to their stories themselves.

  This BOM performance focuses on the music of Kurt Weill, particularly from the musical theatre piece Happy End. The musical accompaniment is provided by an ensemble consisting of young, talented students from the Maastricht Conservatory.
  
  BOM will play performances of Happy End on 21, 22 and 25 January 2026.
  Admission is free, but reservations are required. Click on ‘Tickets’ in the Playlist.
  There are a limited number of places, so when it’s fully booked there will be a waiting list in case tickets become available again.

  The BOM is a collaboration between Opera Zuid, Conservatorium Maastricht, Trajekt and the Kunstketel and is made possible by Elisabeth Strouven Fonds and Stichting Kanunnik Salden/Nieuwenhof.

  *from Bertolt Brecht’s An die Nachgeborenen.

  IN CONVERSATION WITH MUSICAL DIRECTOR TIM SABEL AND CHILDREN’S REHEARSAL DIRECTOR TIM STOTER

  What makes Buurt Opera Malpertuis so special?
  Tim Sabel: ‘The BOM performances are based on the words, movements, stories of the people who participate. They share their life experiences on stage, with each other and with the audience. That we make opera – art – out of that together, I find incredibly moving and special.’
  Tim Stoter: ‘I think it’s great that there’s a very friendly atmosphere at BOM and at the same time it’s incredibly professional. Apart from that, I mainly work with the children. I love noticing how they too find each other, regardless of their different backgrounds, ages and situations. I haven’t seen such a diverse group become so close so quickly.’

  How does that work; making a new opera with people with no opera experience?
  Tim Sabel: ‘We make a collage performance around a theme that comes from the group itself. We choose music together and build the story through personal conversations and stories, acting, singing and movement. The participants play themselves, which makes it personal, direct and sometimes confrontational.
  This year we are working mainly with music by the composer Kurt Weill. His work has an enormous eloquence, which fits well with BOM. We therefore work specifically on: what do you want to say, with what colour, with what intention, with what look in your eyes?’

  What does it mean for the participants to make music with (semi-)professionals?
  Tim Sabel: ‘The story they tell on stage – their own story – is lifted to a kind of next level to the max by the accompaniment of the musicians of the Maastricht Academy of Music. When, after months of rehearsals with only piano accompaniment, the live music of the ensemble joins in, everyone is enormously impressed. The musicians literally support and reinforce their singing, text, movement and story. The performance becomes real.’
  Tim Stoter: ‘And I believe it also gives a boost. You do feel like a star when there is a whole ensemble playing music behind you, while you are in the spotlight with your beautiful costume on, in a cool setting!’

  What does it do to children to participate in the neighbourhood opera?
  Tim Stoter: ‘It’s great to see how those kids grow. They come in with little to no theatre experience, so everything is new. In the beginning, the concept of an audience and a stage is still very elusive (Why do I have to sing in that direction? Why do I have to come up at that exact moment? Why can’t I just talk in the wings?), but once there is a real audience, everything falls into place. Every child develops, in his or her own way. Mega fun!’
  Tim Sabel: ‘Parents also notice a difference: children talk louder, are more confident. And at the end of the process, after the performances, their world collapses a little bit. No more BOM rehearsals?!’

  ---

  Tim Stoter: ‘Right! They were really sad when it was finished last year. The whole process of making theatre was a tremendous eye-opener for all the children. It’s a good thing we soon started the workshops and rehearsals again.’

  Tim Stoter: ‘Right! They were really sad when it was finished last year. The whole process of making theatre was a tremendous eye-opener for all the children. It’s a good thing we soon started the workshops and rehearsals again.’

  TICKETS

  Cast

  Singing and acting	Ineke Calje, Martin Callejas Neyra, Giovanna Coenen-Soro, Jacques de Faber, Lian Heuts, Julise Kock, Marleen Mes, Joke de Mos, Janvière Mukobwayire, Mariet Mulders, Evgeny Parkhomenko, Ellie Peters, Els Schepers, Guillaume Stassen, Tara Velting, Anja Vrancken, Hansje van Welbergen and Alice Weltens
  Children	Benthe, Bilal, Caitlynn, Joris, Keren-Jamie, Nikol, Norah, Sarah and Yeva
  Flute, piccolo	Remei Alegre Veses
  Clarinet	Javier Ribes Arenzana
  Soprano saxophone, accordion	Areti Mirali
  Alto saxophone	Xavier Marican
  Tenor saxophone, alto saxophone	Tim Peeters
  Trumpet	Ramón Rodriguez Luque
  Trombone	Christian Jesus Cruz Mesa
  Percussion	Jorge Mora Molina
  Guitar, bass guitar	Nathan Andrien
  Piano	Zoë Liu

  Creatives

  Director	Tamara Jongerden, Ginette Puylaert
  Musical direction	Tim Sabel
  Singing coaching	Ginette Puylaert
  Children’s rehearsals	Tim Stoter
  Scenography	Nathalie Smeets
  Costumes	Kostuumatelier Opera Zuid
  Light design	MartinJan Gaasbeek
  Dramaturgy	Joep Hupperetz
  Sound engineering	Sam Collins
  Hair & make up	Andrej Gabron
  Audio	Roderik Povel, Lobke Houkes
  Production management	Kyra Bertram
  Social work	Manon Pachen (Trajekt)

  Media

  Happy End

  Programme booklet

  Pictures

  

  

  

  

  

  

  

  

  

  

  

  

  

  

  Video

  Partners

  

  

  

  

• Les Enfants Terribles

  2 May 202515:52 Comments Off on Les Enfants Terribles

  “The opera is ominous, suspenseful, and at times moving in the characters’ futile attempts at affection, and thanks to the exceptional performances by everyone involved, it is a true gem.”

  > Review Place de l’Opera (in Dutch)

  ‘In this thoughtful production by Béatrice Lachaussée, the claustrophobia of the siblings’ room was extraordinarily effective.’

  > Review Opera Now

  ‘An enchanting opera about contrasts and the twilight zone.’

  > Review Theaterkrant (in Dutch)

  ‘Singers must feel the language in their very being; the words they sing must resonate within them.’

  > Brabant Cultureel (in Dutch)

  ‘A performance of this exceptionally fresh-sounding work that was a success in every respect.’

  > Audio review Deutschlandfunk (in German)

  ‘In this production, we can show what we’ve learnt and we need to push our boundaries.’

  > Report de Volkskrant (in Dutch)

  Les Enfants Terribles

  > Programme flyer

  

  Info

  In Les Enfants Terribles Gérard tells the story of his friends, brother Paul and sister Lise, who live in their own fantasy world. Orphaned and dependent on each other, they spend their days in their room, where they play the ‘game’. Gérard is Paul and Lise’s only friend and link to the outside world. As they grow older, their intense bond becomes increasingly destructive. When it becomes too oppressive for Lise, she starts working as a model and meets Agathe there. What started as a childish fantasy grows into a web in which everyone becomes entangled.

  Four singers and three pianos. That’s all it takes to tell a gripping story about the driving, transcendent and sometimes destructive power of imagination.

  Philip Glass’ chamber opera Les Enfants Terribles Philip Glass’ is based on the 1929 novel of the same name by French poet, writer and filmmaker Jean Cocteau. The music is, in the words of director Béatrice Lachaussée, ‘enchanting, fascinating, hypnotic, sometimes cheerful and sometimes oppressive’. Glass is known for his repetitive minimal music. In Les Enfants Terribles, this music immediately evokes strong images. For Lachaussée, the music describes life, which just keeps going on and on, with ups and downs. There is no escape: once you get on that carousel, you have to finish the ride…

  Thanks to her love for the imaginary art world of Cocteau and her great visual imagination, Lachaussée is the director for Les Enfants Terribles. She previously directed Cocteau’s La Voix Humaine (2020) for Opera Zuid, and the family opera Een lied voor de maan (2021/2023). This time she is working with scenographer Jorine van Beek. Together they create a stage design in which the young singers of the National Opera Studio can bring the dark fantasy world of Les Enfants Terribles to life.

  Les Enfants Terribles is a co-production of Opera Zuid, De Nationale Opera and the Nederlandse Reisopera, and thus part of the collaboration between the three opera companies to stimulate talent development.

  Enter the mesmerizing world of Les Enfants Terribles where fantasy and reality become indistinguishable.

  Les Enfants Terribles lasts ninety-five minutes and is sung in French, with Dutch and English surtitles.

  INTERVIEW WITH DIRECTOR BÉATRICE LACHAUSSÉE

  What is Les Enfants Terribles by Philip Glass about for you?
  ‘The opera is based on the book of the same name by Jean Cocteau and is a parable about the dangers of a relationship that is too close. It is about Paul and Elisabeth (Lise) – brother and sister – who threaten to suffocate each other, but at the same time find it very difficult to welcome a stranger into their world. The music by Philip Glass is fascinating and enchanting, like an uninterrupted stream – like a river – with currents of excitement and tension. The music supports the core of the story, which is very dark. At the same time, there are childlike and cheerful moments and the music evokes very strong images. For me, the music describes life, which just keeps going on and on, with ups and downs. From the first to the last note, the opera is like a carousel that, once you get on, you can’t get off and you go on a hypnotic ride.’

  Les Enfants Terribles by Jean Cocteau has been your favorite for years, why?
  ‘Cocteau is one of my favorite artists. Les Enfants Terribles is one of his most famous works; I have devoured this book since I was seventeen. I find it so special how he reflects the complexity of the human psyche. That makes his work very human and at the same time perfect for opera. There are so many layers to his characters. His work is also very cinematic and creates an enormously strong imaginative world, which I love very much.’

  Where does this love for imagination and creativity come from?
  ‘Because of what I experienced at a young age, I looked for a way to express myself. As a child, I danced, sang and wrote a lot. Because I had no words for my feelings, it became vital for me to express myself in a poetic way. Music helped me with that. In this way, I created a safe place where I could delve into my own creativity to my heart’s content. I wish the same feeling for the people who see my performances; that they are inspired to let their own imagination work for them. I think opera is the perfect form for that. Thanks to my very first opera experience – Die Zauberflöte in a circus tent – I have never seen opera as something elitist, but as an art in which all forms of creativity come together. I want to recreate the intimacy and freshness that I experienced then with every production that I make.’

  What else do you hope to achieve with your direction of Les Enfants Terribles?
  ‘I want to tell an inspiring story in a poetic way, but I am also increasingly interested in the link between art and the needs of society. The theme of a ‘stranger’ who tries to belong to the group can be recognized from everyday life, but of course also in politics. I would find it interesting to encourage the audience to think about this theme in a more philosophical way. How we can enrich and broaden our lives by allowing new influences, by evolving through change and together achieving something even more beautiful. Because there is – I think – a great need to recreate a sense of connection between people, a sense of connection that transcends social and cultural boundaries.
  Although I do not want to be judgmental or didactic; my intention is to create an enchanting performance that inspires people so much that they might want to come and see it two or three times to discover new nuances each time.’

  TICKETS

  Info

  In Les Enfants Terribles Gérard tells the story of his friends, brother Paul and sister Lise, who live in their own fantasy world. Orphaned and dependent on each other, they spend their days in their room, where they play the ‘game’. Gérard is Paul and Lise’s only friend and link to the outside world. As they grow older, their intense bond becomes increasingly destructive. When it becomes too oppressive for Lise, she starts working as a model and meets Agathe there. What started as a childish fantasy grows into a web in which everyone becomes entangled.

  Four singers and three pianos. That’s all it takes to tell a gripping story about the driving, transcendent and sometimes destructive power of imagination.

  Philip Glass’ chamber opera Les Enfants Terribles Philip Glass’ is based on the 1929 novel of the same name by French poet, writer and filmmaker Jean Cocteau. The music is, in the words of director Béatrice Lachaussée, ‘enchanting, fascinating, hypnotic, sometimes cheerful and sometimes oppressive’. Glass is known for his repetitive minimal music. In Les Enfants Terribles, this music immediately evokes strong images. For Lachaussée, the music describes life, which just keeps going on and on, with ups and downs. There is no escape: once you get on that carousel, you have to finish the ride…

  Thanks to her love for the imaginary art world of Cocteau and her great visual imagination, Lachaussée is the director for Les Enfants Terribles. She previously directed Cocteau’s La Voix Humaine (2020) for Opera Zuid, and the family opera Een lied voor de maan (2021/2023). This time she is working with scenographer Jorine van Beek. Together they create a stage design in which the young singers of the National Opera Studio can bring the dark fantasy world of Les Enfants Terribles to life.

  Les Enfants Terribles is a co-production of Opera Zuid, De Nationale Opera and the Nederlandse Reisopera, and thus part of the collaboration between the three opera companies to stimulate talent development.

  Enter the mesmerizing world of Les Enfants Terribles where fantasy and reality become indistinguishable.

  Les Enfants Terribles lasts ninety-five minutes and is sung in French, with Dutch and English surtitles.

  INTERVIEW WITH DIRECTOR BÉATRICE LACHAUSSÉE

  What is Les Enfants Terribles by Philip Glass about for you?
  ‘The opera is based on the book of the same name by Jean Cocteau and is a parable about the dangers of a relationship that is too close. It is about Paul and Elisabeth (Lise) – brother and sister – who threaten to suffocate each other, but at the same time find it very difficult to welcome a stranger into their world. The music by Philip Glass is fascinating and enchanting, like an uninterrupted stream – like a river – with currents of excitement and tension. The music supports the core of the story, which is very dark. At the same time, there are childlike and cheerful moments and the music evokes very strong images. For me, the music describes life, which just keeps going on and on, with ups and downs. From the first to the last note, the opera is like a carousel that, once you get on, you can’t get off and you go on a hypnotic ride.’

  Les Enfants Terribles by Jean Cocteau has been your favorite for years, why?
  ‘Cocteau is one of my favorite artists. Les Enfants Terribles is one of his most famous works; I have devoured this book since I was seventeen. I find it so special how he reflects the complexity of the human psyche. That makes his work very human and at the same time perfect for opera. There are so many layers to his characters. His work is also very cinematic and creates an enormously strong imaginative world, which I love very much.’

  Where does this love for imagination and creativity come from?
  ‘Because of what I experienced at a young age, I looked for a way to express myself. As a child, I danced, sang and wrote a lot. Because I had no words for my feelings, it became vital for me to express myself in a poetic way. Music helped me with that. In this way, I created a safe place where I could delve into my own creativity to my heart’s content. I wish the same feeling for the people who see my performances; that they are inspired to let their own imagination work for them. I think opera is the perfect form for that. Thanks to my very first opera experience – Die Zauberflöte in a circus tent – I have never seen opera as something elitist, but as an art in which all forms of creativity come together. I want to recreate the intimacy and freshness that I experienced then with every production that I make.’

  What else do you hope to achieve with your direction of Les Enfants Terribles?
  ‘I want to tell an inspiring story in a poetic way, but I am also increasingly interested in the link between art and the needs of society. The theme of a ‘stranger’ who tries to belong to the group can be recognized from everyday life, but of course also in politics. I would find it interesting to encourage the audience to think about this theme in a more philosophical way. How we can enrich and broaden our lives by allowing new influences, by evolving through change and together achieving something even more beautiful. Because there is – I think – a great need to recreate a sense of connection between people, a sense of connection that transcends social and cultural boundaries.
  Although I do not want to be judgmental or didactic; my intention is to create an enchanting performance that inspires people so much that they might want to come and see it two or three times to discover new nuances each time.’

  TICKETS

  Cast

  Paul	Ismael Correa Ulriksen
  Elisabeth (Lise)	Eva Rae Martinez
  Gérard	Steven van der Linden
  Dargelos/Agathe	Aaike Notier
  Pianist #1	Nicolas Krüger
  Pianist #2	Daniel Ruiz de Cenzano Caballero
  Pianist #3	Leonardo Moyano Ortiz

  

  Ismael
  Correa Ulriksen

  Paul

  

  Eva
  Rae Martinez

  Elisabeth (Lise)

  

  Steven
  van der Linden

  Gérard

  Website

  

  Aaike
  Notier

  Dargelos/Agathe

  

  Nicolas
  Krüger

  Pianist #1

  

  Daniel
  Ruiz de Cenzano Caballero

  Pianist #2

  

  Leonardo
  Moyano Ortiz

  Pianist #3

  Creatives

  Musical director	Nicolas Krüger
  Direction & co-set design	Béatrice Lachaussée
  Set- & costume design	Jorine van Beek
  Light design	Glen D’haenens
  Dramaturgy & direction assistant	Joep Hupperetz
  Language coach	Olivier Lallouette
  Assistant set- & costume design	Fleur Ummels

  

  Nicolas
  Krüger

  Musical director

  Website

  

  Béatrice
  Lachaussée

  Direction & co-set design

  Website

  

  Jorine
  van Beek

  Set- & costume design

  

  Glen
  D’haenens

  Light design

  

  Joep
  Hupperetz

  Dramaturgy & direction assistant

  Website

  

  Olivier
  Lallouette

  Language coach

  

  Fleur
  Ummels

  Assistant set- & costume design

  Website

  Media

  ‘The enthusiasm with which four young opera singers threw themselves into the story brought this performance to life.’

  Review NRC (in Dutch)

  ‘Everything is right in the chamberopera Les Enfants Terribles.’

  Review de Volkskrant (in Dutch)

  “The opera is ominous, suspenseful, and at times moving in the characters’ futile attempts at affection, and thanks to the exceptional performances by everyone involved, it is a true gem.”

  Review Place de l’Opera (in Dutch)

  ‘In this thoughtful production by Béatrice Lachaussée, the claustrophobia of the siblings’ room was extraordinarily effective.’

  Review Opera Now

  ‘An enchanting opera about contrasts and the twilight zone.’

  Review Theaterkrant (in Dutch)

  ‘Singers must feel the language in their very being; the words they sing must resonate within them.’

  Brabant Cultureel (in Dutch)

  ‘A performance of this exceptionally fresh-sounding work that was a success in every respect.’

  Audio review Deutschlandfunk (in German)

  ‘In this production, we can show what we’ve learnt and we need to push our boundaries.’

  Report de Volkskrant (in Dutch)

  Les Enfants Terribles

  Programme flyer

  Photo

  

  

  

  

  

  

  

  

  

  

  

  

  Video

  Partners

  

  

  

• Die Dreigroschenoper

  28 April 202513:10 Comments Off on Die Dreigroschenoper
  ‘The final scene is beautiful and powerful – everyone watches as she [Moritatensänger Kikki Géron] musically summarises the moral of this epic theatre.’

  > Review de Volkskrant in Dutch

  ‘The great strength of Die Dreigroschenoper is its music […]. It is right up the alley of conductor Enrico Delamboye, who guides the musicians of Philzuid in a lively but functional manner.’

  > Review De Limburger in Dutch

  ‘During Friday’s premiere at the Theater aan het Vrijthof in Maastricht, it was as if the theatrical scenes were created on the spot.’

  > Review Trouw in Dutch

  ‘Cet univers très coloré est incontestablement dominé par la performance du comédien Maarten Heijmans, qui confère à Macheath un étonnant mélange d’élégance désinvolte et d’énergie frénétique.’

  > Review Concertclassic in French

  ‘Mack the Knife was played by Maarten Heijmans, an actor who could sing. And he was brilliant, a five star performance which I shall remember for some time.’

  > A very enjoyable production of the Brecht/Weill favourite by Opera Zuid

  ‘The stylised choreography (Martin Michel), performed partly in slow motion, is perfectly tailored to the music and executed with great verve.’

  > Review Theaterkrant in Dutch

  ‘Maarten Heijmans plays the charismatic lovable villain in Opera Zuid’s production of “The Threepenny Opera”.’

  > Review NRC

  ‘Haegeman’s solo in the “Ballade von der sexuellen Hörigkeit” was particularly impressive and, as a Weill enthusiast, a highlight for me.’

  > Review Place de l’Opera in Dutch

  ‘Director Servé Hermans’ fresh and daring approach gave Brecht and Weill’s iconic work a new shine, without losing its sharp social undertones.’

  > Review Chapeau in Dutch

  ‘A magnificent cast that ensures you won’t be bored for a moment.’

  > Review Opera Gazet in Dutch

  ‘Satirical commentary on the established order in anti-opera’

  > Eindhovens Dagblad in Dutch

  ‘Opera Zuid convincingly demonstrates how relevant this masterpiece still is today. The company also proves its indispensable role in the Dutch opera and theatre landscape.’

  > Chapeau – festive premier in Dutch

  ‘There is often a satisfied roar from the director’s chair, and sometimes Hermans himself comes out to demonstrate something.’

  > NRC in Dutch

  ‘A unique collaboration with Toneelgroep Maastricht has resulted in musical theatre that straddles all genres: raw, playful, politically charged and surprisingly topical.’

  > L1 article in Dutch

  ‘I always want to keep doing different things, projects where I am afraid that I won’t be able to do something.’

  > Volkskrant – Interview Maarten Heijmans in Dutch

  ‘We do not engage in political theatre. […] It is a mirror, but it depends on how you look at it yourself.’

  > Interview Lobke Houkes and Joep Hupperetz in Dutch

  ‘Nothing is as it seems.’

  > Luister in Dutch

  ‘I prefer to choose projects that I am a little afraid of.’

  > Interview Maarten Heijmans in Dutch

  Servé Hermans, between comfort and theatrical passion.

  > Interview Servé Hermans in Dutch

  ‘Conductor and pianist Enrico Delamboye follows his intuition.’

  > Interview Enrico Delamboye

  Die Dreigroschenoper

  > Programme booklet in Dutch with English links

  >

  >

  >

  

  Info

  EXTRA TICKETS AVAILABLE
  Extra tickets have become available at Chassé Theatre Breda. So grab your chance to get a ticket now! Michael Wilmering plays the role of Macheath.

  Die Dreigroschenoper is a play with music in a prologue and eight scenes based on The Beggar’s Opera by John Gay, by Bertolt Brecht (text) and Kurt Weill (music) in collaboration with Elisabeth Hauptmann.

  Die Dreigroschenoper is titillating entertainment that challenges the audience to look critically at society and morality. Kurt Weill and Bertolt Brecht wrote this satirical play with music, which is full of social criticism, in 1928. Almost a hundred years later, the work is still as sharp and topical.

  Die Dreigroschenoper is about the cunning gangster Macheath (Mackie Messer), who marries the daughter of the beggar king, Polly Peachum. Father Peachum tries to get Macheath sentenced to death in order to maintain his power. Betrayal, corruption and bribery show how this (under)world works. The opera begins with the world-famous Die Moritat von Mackie Messer and ends with a cynical deus ex machina, or an unexpected denouement.

  Kurt Weill’s iconic music explores the boundaries of musical theatre. In Die Dreigroschenoper, classical, cabaret, jazz and chanson merge into a timeless and unique experience. ‘Weill composes in an indefinable musical style; it can rightly be called a connecting work of art’, says the Limburg and internationally renowned conductor Enrico Delamboye about this.

  Die Dreigroschenoper stimulates and confronts in a dynamic, highly artistic way. ‘The music sounds – in a positive sense – unpolished, a bit raw and sometimes almost attacking. The connection between text and music also has a very strong theatrical effect. Like in the famous Mackie Messer: the sounds seduce, while the textual content sobers. That, and all those different styles require a very high degree of artistry, from all of us.’ according to Delamboye.

  Opera Zuid has chosen theatre man Servé Hermans to direct Die Dreigroschenoper. As artistic director of Toneelgroep Maastricht, he created and directed numerous successful theatre pieces. He also directed the spectacular musicals Dagboek van een herdershond and Het was Zondag in het Zuiden. With Die Dreigroschenoper, he makes his debut as an opera director. ‘I find it interesting that it is such a social and topical piece. In Die Dreigroschenoper, the power lies with a few people, in a society in which the vast majority is needy. Compare that to the times in which we live.’ According to Servé Hermans, the opera shows ‘a unique, autonomous world – recognisable, but not an environment in which the theatre audience moves every day.’ The absurd, ironic situations hold up a mirror to us. How does Mackie’s world relate to our own society? And who are we actually laughing at?
  
  Die Dreigroschenoper is a play with music in one prologue and eight scenes based on The Beggar’s Opera by John Gay, by Bertolt Brecht (text) and Kurt Weill (music) in collaboration with Elisabeth Hauptmann.

  Die Dreigroschenoper lasts approximately two and a half hours including intermission and is sung in German, with Dutch dialogues and Dutch and English surtitles.

  IN CONVERSATION WITH DIRECTOR SERVÉ HERMANS AND MUSICAL MANAGER ENRICO DELAMBOYE

  Servé, directing opera was a long-cherished dream of yours. Why did you choose Die Dreigroschenoper? Servé: ‘I find it interesting because it is such a social piece. But the work also touches very much on the present day. In Die Dreigroschenoper, the power lies with a few people, in a society in which the vast majority is needy. Compare that to the era in which we live. I find it interesting to perform this piece, although I do not want to colour anything in for the audience. People are allowed to make their own connections.’
  Enrico: ‘That is why our Dreigroschen is detached from time and place.’
  Servé: ‘Exactly, we are letting go of the original Victorian London and creating our own world that does not fit into a frame of reference that you and I know. We will recognise it, but it is not the world in which the audience in the theatre naturally moves.’

  Bertolt Brecht created epic theatre with Die Dreigroschenoper, according to himself. What does that mean?
  Servé: ‘Epic theatre is a narrative theatre style that encourages the audience to experience the performance more with their head than with their heart. An important part of this is the Verfremdungseffekt, the alienation effect. These are techniques that actors and directors use to make it clear to the audience that they are watching theatre. The spectator is therefore challenged to think and to mirror the events to their own situation. In addition, Die Dreigroschenoper is a theatre piece that shows two sides of the same coin; the theatre and the commentary on theatre, a society and the commentary on that society. The piece is in no way intended to be emotionally involved, although there is a lot of humour in it. It uses sarcasm, irony, absurdism, self-mockery, a desire to play, a desire to make theatre. It is a sensually stimulating performance that is sharp in its content and should shake people awake.’

  How do we hear this irony and sharp content in Kurt Weill’s music? Enrico: ‘First of all in the striking orchestration; you don’t hear romantic violins but instruments that are not standard in a classical orchestra, such as a folk guitar, a banjo and saxophones supplemented with grinding trombones next to the ‘normal’ cello and double bass. In addition, Weill writes many punctuated rhythms. The music sounds – in a positive sense – unpolished, a bit raw and sometimes almost attacking. Weill composed in an elusive musical style; he used influences from jazz, chansons, classical music, cabaret and ballads. It can rightly be called a connecting work of art, because he forges one whole from all those different styles.’
  Servé: ‘At the same time, Weill’s often warm, round melodies contrast with Brecht’s rather gruesome lyrics about murder and manslaughter. Because of this, there is always a discrepancy between what the music does to you and what is said in terms of textual content. Nothing is what it seems. You remain on the edge of your seat to discover; what does this piece want, what does this music want to tell me?’
  Enrico: ‘The connection between text and music has a very strong theatrical effect. That, and all those different styles require a very high degree of artistry, from all of us.’

  Who is this performance suitable for? Enrico: ‘For anyone with an open mind who does not shy away from the arts!’
  Servé: ‘For anyone who is prepared to get on that train. Look, if you remain standing on the platform with a sour face, then it will be difficult… but if you let yourself be carried away, then with Die Dreigroschenoper you will have a lustful, sensible, meaningful, witty, ironic, inspiring, tasty evening.’

  TICKETS

  Info

  EXTRA TICKETS AVAILABLE
  Extra tickets have become available at Chassé Theatre Breda. So grab your chance to get a ticket now! Michael Wilmering plays the role of Macheath.

  Die Dreigroschenoper is a play with music in a prologue and eight scenes based on The Beggar’s Opera by John Gay, by Bertolt Brecht (text) and Kurt Weill (music) in collaboration with Elisabeth Hauptmann.

  Die Dreigroschenoper is titillating entertainment that challenges the audience to look critically at society and morality. Kurt Weill and Bertolt Brecht wrote this satirical play with music, which is full of social criticism, in 1928. Almost a hundred years later, the work is still as sharp and topical.

  Die Dreigroschenoper is about the cunning gangster Macheath (Mackie Messer), who marries the daughter of the beggar king, Polly Peachum. Father Peachum tries to get Macheath sentenced to death in order to maintain his power. Betrayal, corruption and bribery show how this (under)world works. The opera begins with the world-famous Die Moritat von Mackie Messer and ends with a cynical deus ex machina, or an unexpected denouement.

  Kurt Weill’s iconic music explores the boundaries of musical theatre. In Die Dreigroschenoper, classical, cabaret, jazz and chanson merge into a timeless and unique experience. ‘Weill composes in an indefinable musical style; it can rightly be called a connecting work of art’, says the Limburg and internationally renowned conductor Enrico Delamboye about this.

  Die Dreigroschenoper stimulates and confronts in a dynamic, highly artistic way. ‘The music sounds – in a positive sense – unpolished, a bit raw and sometimes almost attacking. The connection between text and music also has a very strong theatrical effect. Like in the famous Mackie Messer: the sounds seduce, while the textual content sobers. That, and all those different styles require a very high degree of artistry, from all of us.’ according to Delamboye.

  Opera Zuid has chosen theatre man Servé Hermans to direct Die Dreigroschenoper. As artistic director of Toneelgroep Maastricht, he created and directed numerous successful theatre pieces. He also directed the spectacular musicals Dagboek van een herdershond and Het was Zondag in het Zuiden. With Die Dreigroschenoper, he makes his debut as an opera director. ‘I find it interesting that it is such a social and topical piece. In Die Dreigroschenoper, the power lies with a few people, in a society in which the vast majority is needy. Compare that to the times in which we live.’ According to Servé Hermans, the opera shows ‘a unique, autonomous world – recognisable, but not an environment in which the theatre audience moves every day.’ The absurd, ironic situations hold up a mirror to us. How does Mackie’s world relate to our own society? And who are we actually laughing at?
  
  Die Dreigroschenoper is a play with music in one prologue and eight scenes based on The Beggar’s Opera by John Gay, by Bertolt Brecht (text) and Kurt Weill (music) in collaboration with Elisabeth Hauptmann.

  Die Dreigroschenoper lasts approximately two and a half hours including intermission and is sung in German, with Dutch dialogues and Dutch and English surtitles.

  IN CONVERSATION WITH DIRECTOR SERVÉ HERMANS AND MUSICAL MANAGER ENRICO DELAMBOYE

  Servé, directing opera was a long-cherished dream of yours. Why did you choose Die Dreigroschenoper? Servé: ‘I find it interesting because it is such a social piece. But the work also touches very much on the present day. In Die Dreigroschenoper, the power lies with a few people, in a society in which the vast majority is needy. Compare that to the era in which we live. I find it interesting to perform this piece, although I do not want to colour anything in for the audience. People are allowed to make their own connections.’
  Enrico: ‘That is why our Dreigroschen is detached from time and place.’
  Servé: ‘Exactly, we are letting go of the original Victorian London and creating our own world that does not fit into a frame of reference that you and I know. We will recognise it, but it is not the world in which the audience in the theatre naturally moves.’

  Bertolt Brecht created epic theatre with Die Dreigroschenoper, according to himself. What does that mean?
  Servé: ‘Epic theatre is a narrative theatre style that encourages the audience to experience the performance more with their head than with their heart. An important part of this is the Verfremdungseffekt, the alienation effect. These are techniques that actors and directors use to make it clear to the audience that they are watching theatre. The spectator is therefore challenged to think and to mirror the events to their own situation. In addition, Die Dreigroschenoper is a theatre piece that shows two sides of the same coin; the theatre and the commentary on theatre, a society and the commentary on that society. The piece is in no way intended to be emotionally involved, although there is a lot of humour in it. It uses sarcasm, irony, absurdism, self-mockery, a desire to play, a desire to make theatre. It is a sensually stimulating performance that is sharp in its content and should shake people awake.’

  How do we hear this irony and sharp content in Kurt Weill’s music? Enrico: ‘First of all in the striking orchestration; you don’t hear romantic violins but instruments that are not standard in a classical orchestra, such as a folk guitar, a banjo and saxophones supplemented with grinding trombones next to the ‘normal’ cello and double bass. In addition, Weill writes many punctuated rhythms. The music sounds – in a positive sense – unpolished, a bit raw and sometimes almost attacking. Weill composed in an elusive musical style; he used influences from jazz, chansons, classical music, cabaret and ballads. It can rightly be called a connecting work of art, because he forges one whole from all those different styles.’
  Servé: ‘At the same time, Weill’s often warm, round melodies contrast with Brecht’s rather gruesome lyrics about murder and manslaughter. Because of this, there is always a discrepancy between what the music does to you and what is said in terms of textual content. Nothing is what it seems. You remain on the edge of your seat to discover; what does this piece want, what does this music want to tell me?’
  Enrico: ‘The connection between text and music has a very strong theatrical effect. That, and all those different styles require a very high degree of artistry, from all of us.’

  Who is this performance suitable for? Enrico: ‘For anyone with an open mind who does not shy away from the arts!’
  Servé: ‘For anyone who is prepared to get on that train. Look, if you remain standing on the platform with a sour face, then it will be difficult… but if you let yourself be carried away, then with Die Dreigroschenoper you will have a lustful, sensible, meaningful, witty, ironic, inspiring, tasty evening.’

  TICKETS

  Cast

  Macheath	Maarten Heijmans
  Macheath (*performs on 6, 10, 12 & 14 december)	Michael Wilmering*
  Polly Peachum	Maartje Rammeloo
  Jonathan Jeremiah Peachum	Huub Claessens
  Celia Peachum	Lien Haegeman
  Tiger Brown	Marcel van Dieren
  Lucy Brown	Nikki Treurniet
  Lucy Brown (*speelt 12 december)	Tabea Tatan*
  Die Spelunken-Jenny	Lucie van Ree
  Ein Moritatensänger	Kikki Géron
  Hakenfingerjakob	Jacques de Faber
  Filch	Pim van Drunen
  Münzmatthias	Tim Stoter
  Choir	Theatre choir Opera Zuid
  Orchestra	Philzuid

  

  Maarten
  Heijmans

  Macheath

  Website

  

  Michael
  Wilmering*

  Macheath (*performs on 6, 10, 12 & 14 december)

  Website

  

  Maartje
  Rammeloo

  Polly Peachum

  Website

  

  Huub
  Claessens

  Jonathan Jeremiah Peachum

  

  Lien
  Haegeman

  Celia Peachum

  

  Marcel
  van Dieren

  Tiger Brown

  Website

  

  Nikki
  Treurniet

  Lucy Brown

  Website

  

  Tabea
  Tatan*

  Lucy Brown (*speelt 12 december)

  

  Lucie
  van Ree

  Die Spelunken-Jenny

  

  Kikki
  Géron

  Ein Moritatensänger

  Website

  

  Jacques
  de Faber

  Hakenfingerjakob

  Website

  

  Pim
  van Drunen

  Filch

  Website

  

  Tim
  Stoter

  Münzmatthias

  

  Philzuid

  Orchestra

  Website

  Creatives

  Musical director	Enrico Delamboye
  Director	Servé Hermans
  Set design	Amber Vandenhoeck
  Costume design	Lobke Houkes
  Light design	Uri Rapaport
  Dramaturgy	Joep Hupperetz
  Dramaturgy & translation dialogues	Ludo Costongs
  Choreography & movement	Martin Michel
  Hair & make-up design	Pilo Pilkes
  Assistant musical direction & choir leader (*conducts 27 & 29 November)	Lochlan Brown*
  Assistant director	Margot van Deursen
  Assistant director	Roos Rol

  

  Enrico
  Delamboye

  Musical director

  

  Servé
  Hermans

  Director

  

  Amber
  Vandenhoeck

  Set design

  Website

  

  Lobke
  Houkes

  Costume design

  Website

  

  Uri
  Rapaport

  Light design

  Website

  

  Joep
  Hupperetz

  Dramaturgy

  Website

  

  Ludo
  Costongs

  Dramaturgy & translation dialogues

  

  Martin
  Michel

  Choreography & movement

  

  Pilo
  Pilkes

  Hair & make-up design

  

  Lochlan
  Brown*

  Assistant musical direction & choir leader (*conducts 27 & 29 November)

  Website

  

  Margot
  van Deursen

  Assistant director

  

  Roos
  Rol

  Assistant director

  Media

  ‘The final scene is beautiful and powerful – everyone watches as she [Moritatensänger Kikki Géron] musically summarises the moral of this epic theatre.’

  Review de Volkskrant in Dutch

  ‘The great strength of Die Dreigroschenoper is its music […]. It is right up the alley of conductor Enrico Delamboye, who guides the musicians of Philzuid in a lively but functional manner.’

  Review De Limburger in Dutch

  ‘During Friday’s premiere at the Theater aan het Vrijthof in Maastricht, it was as if the theatrical scenes were created on the spot.’

  Review Trouw in Dutch

  ‘Cet univers très coloré est incontestablement dominé par la performance du comédien Maarten Heijmans, qui confère à Macheath un étonnant mélange d’élégance désinvolte et d’énergie frénétique.’

  Review Concertclassic in French

  ‘Mack the Knife was played by Maarten Heijmans, an actor who could sing. And he was brilliant, a five star performance which I shall remember for some time.’

  A very enjoyable production of the Brecht/Weill favourite by Opera Zuid

  ‘The stylised choreography (Martin Michel), performed partly in slow motion, is perfectly tailored to the music and executed with great verve.’

  Review Theaterkrant in Dutch

  ‘Maarten Heijmans plays the charismatic lovable villain in Opera Zuid’s production of “The Threepenny Opera”.’

  Review NRC

  ‘Haegeman’s solo in the “Ballade von der sexuellen Hörigkeit” was particularly impressive and, as a Weill enthusiast, a highlight for me.’

  Review Place de l’Opera in Dutch

  ‘Director Servé Hermans’ fresh and daring approach gave Brecht and Weill’s iconic work a new shine, without losing its sharp social undertones.’

  Review Chapeau in Dutch

  ‘A magnificent cast that ensures you won’t be bored for a moment.’

  Review Opera Gazet in Dutch

  ‘Satirical commentary on the established order in anti-opera’

  Eindhovens Dagblad in Dutch

  ‘Opera Zuid convincingly demonstrates how relevant this masterpiece still is today. The company also proves its indispensable role in the Dutch opera and theatre landscape.’

  Chapeau – festive premier in Dutch

  ‘There is often a satisfied roar from the director’s chair, and sometimes Hermans himself comes out to demonstrate something.’

  NRC in Dutch

  ‘A unique collaboration with Toneelgroep Maastricht has resulted in musical theatre that straddles all genres: raw, playful, politically charged and surprisingly topical.’

  L1 article in Dutch

  ‘I always want to keep doing different things, projects where I am afraid that I won’t be able to do something.’

  Volkskrant – Interview Maarten Heijmans in Dutch

  ‘We do not engage in political theatre. […] It is a mirror, but it depends on how you look at it yourself.’

  Interview Lobke Houkes and Joep Hupperetz in Dutch

  ‘Nothing is as it seems.’

  Luister in Dutch

  ‘I prefer to choose projects that I am a little afraid of.’

  Interview Maarten Heijmans in Dutch

  Servé Hermans, between comfort and theatrical passion.

  Interview Servé Hermans in Dutch

  ‘Conductor and pianist Enrico Delamboye follows his intuition.’

  Interview Enrico Delamboye

  Die Dreigroschenoper

  Programme booklet in Dutch with English links

  Photo

  

  

  

  

  

  

  

  

  

  

  

  

  

  

  

  

  

  

  

  

  

  

  

  

  

  

  

  

  

  

  

  

  Video

  Partners

  

  

  

  

  

• L’Étoile

  18 April 202514:07 Comments Off on L’Étoile

  

  Info

  Every year, King Ouf I looks forward to his self-invented birthday present: to have a random subject executed. This year, the choice falls on the brazen peddler Lazuli. However, court astrologer Siroco warns the king: Ouf’s star is closely linked to that of Lazuli. So if he dies, Ouf dies. Of course, the majesty does not let that happen: Lazuli’s life is protected at all costs. He is pampered and is eventually even allowed to marry the princess!

  This absurd fact forms the basis of L’Étoile: a witty, socially critical opera. This Opéra Bouffe tacks between light comedy, black humor and sharp satire. Chabrier’s music is as surprising as the plot: a playful mix of sparkling melodies, impressionistic tones and subliminal darkness, in which the influence of Jacques Offenbach resonates and even points to Kurt Weill. With musical inventions such as a ‘tickle trio’ and a ‘sneeze aria’, Chabrier perfectly captures the madness of power and human foolishness.
  
  Is L’Étoile a fairy tale? A political parody? Existential satire? It is all of these at once. In any case, it holds up a funhouse mirror to us, in which the arbitrariness of power, the madness of fate and the transience of existence are exposed in a shrewd manner.

  Director Matthew Eberhardt brings this unique story to life with great enthusiasm. He praises L’Étoile as ‘brilliant music theatre’. With his versatile experience in theatre and music theatre, he looks forward to introducing the audience to the bizarre and sometimes painfully familiar world of Chabrier’s first grand opera.

  Orchestra Philzuid provides the music in L’Étoile under the direction of the French conductor Nicolas Krüger.
  
  L’Étoile lasts approximately two and a half hours including intermission and is sung and spoken in French, with Dutch and English subtitles.

  IN CONVERSATION WITH DIRECTOR MATTHEW EBERHARDT

  Director Matthew Eberhardt can’t wait to immerse himself in the crazy, innovative and sometimes painfully familiar world of L’Étoile. He sees the relatively unknown Emmanuel Chabrier as an unconventional composer who made music the way he felt it; playful, immensely creative and full of surprises!

  What do you think L’Étoile is about?
  ‘First of all, I think L’Étoile is a wonderfully entertaining and also very accessible piece. It shows a world in which you initially recognize a lot, but which gradually becomes crazier and more bizarre. The journey that you experience as a spectator is very exciting, unpredictable, and funny, both because of the story and the music.’

  What do you think L’Étoile is about?
  ‘First of all, I think L’Étoile is a wonderfully entertaining and also very accessible piece. It shows a world in which you initially recognize a lot, but which gradually becomes crazier and more bizarre. The journey that you experience as a spectator is very exciting, unpredictable, and funny, both because of the story and the music.’

  The composer, Emmanuel Chabrier, is not such a well-known name to us. What does his music sound like?
  ‘His work is reminiscent of many composers and styles, such as Offenbach, Debussy, Ravel and Weill. But Chabrier definitely has his own fresh and unconventional approach. He is not afraid to let go of a style and in doing so creates his own unique musical style, which is full of surprises. His choral pieces, for example, are very action-oriented. They react immediately to what is happening in the scene at that moment. At the same time, his music is particularly refined and fragile. Opera can sometimes be a storm of sound, Chabrier’s work is more vulnerable, there is a lightness in it in a very exciting way.’

  Can you give an example of those surprises in music?
  ‘Chabrier had music lessons from an early age and liked to sit behind the piano. But he worked as a lawyer. In addition to his job at the Ministry of the Interior, he composed. Although he worked a lot with laws and regulations, he dared to tell his story in his music in a very creative way, without being too concerned with styles and conventions. For example, in L’Étoile there is a kissing quartet, a tickling trio and a sneezing aria…! How did you come up with that?’

  How did you actually get into opera?
  ‘As a child, I loved listening to music and imagining the stories that were being told and what they would look like. I started as a theatre director, but soon worked on musicals and then on opera. I think opera is such a beautiful art form because everyone works together. I find the way all the art disciplines come together and the many ways in which you can convey the content in opera endlessly fascinating!’

  TICKETS

  Info

  Every year, King Ouf I looks forward to his self-invented birthday present: to have a random subject executed. This year, the choice falls on the brazen peddler Lazuli. However, court astrologer Siroco warns the king: Ouf’s star is closely linked to that of Lazuli. So if he dies, Ouf dies. Of course, the majesty does not let that happen: Lazuli’s life is protected at all costs. He is pampered and is eventually even allowed to marry the princess!

  This absurd fact forms the basis of L’Étoile: a witty, socially critical opera. This Opéra Bouffe tacks between light comedy, black humor and sharp satire. Chabrier’s music is as surprising as the plot: a playful mix of sparkling melodies, impressionistic tones and subliminal darkness, in which the influence of Jacques Offenbach resonates and even points to Kurt Weill. With musical inventions such as a ‘tickle trio’ and a ‘sneeze aria’, Chabrier perfectly captures the madness of power and human foolishness.
  
  Is L’Étoile a fairy tale? A political parody? Existential satire? It is all of these at once. In any case, it holds up a funhouse mirror to us, in which the arbitrariness of power, the madness of fate and the transience of existence are exposed in a shrewd manner.

  Director Matthew Eberhardt brings this unique story to life with great enthusiasm. He praises L’Étoile as ‘brilliant music theatre’. With his versatile experience in theatre and music theatre, he looks forward to introducing the audience to the bizarre and sometimes painfully familiar world of Chabrier’s first grand opera.

  Orchestra Philzuid provides the music in L’Étoile under the direction of the French conductor Nicolas Krüger.
  
  L’Étoile lasts approximately two and a half hours including intermission and is sung and spoken in French, with Dutch and English subtitles.

  IN CONVERSATION WITH DIRECTOR MATTHEW EBERHARDT

  Director Matthew Eberhardt can’t wait to immerse himself in the crazy, innovative and sometimes painfully familiar world of L’Étoile. He sees the relatively unknown Emmanuel Chabrier as an unconventional composer who made music the way he felt it; playful, immensely creative and full of surprises!

  What do you think L’Étoile is about?
  ‘First of all, I think L’Étoile is a wonderfully entertaining and also very accessible piece. It shows a world in which you initially recognize a lot, but which gradually becomes crazier and more bizarre. The journey that you experience as a spectator is very exciting, unpredictable, and funny, both because of the story and the music.’

  What do you think L’Étoile is about?
  ‘First of all, I think L’Étoile is a wonderfully entertaining and also very accessible piece. It shows a world in which you initially recognize a lot, but which gradually becomes crazier and more bizarre. The journey that you experience as a spectator is very exciting, unpredictable, and funny, both because of the story and the music.’

  The composer, Emmanuel Chabrier, is not such a well-known name to us. What does his music sound like?
  ‘His work is reminiscent of many composers and styles, such as Offenbach, Debussy, Ravel and Weill. But Chabrier definitely has his own fresh and unconventional approach. He is not afraid to let go of a style and in doing so creates his own unique musical style, which is full of surprises. His choral pieces, for example, are very action-oriented. They react immediately to what is happening in the scene at that moment. At the same time, his music is particularly refined and fragile. Opera can sometimes be a storm of sound, Chabrier’s work is more vulnerable, there is a lightness in it in a very exciting way.’

  Can you give an example of those surprises in music?
  ‘Chabrier had music lessons from an early age and liked to sit behind the piano. But he worked as a lawyer. In addition to his job at the Ministry of the Interior, he composed. Although he worked a lot with laws and regulations, he dared to tell his story in his music in a very creative way, without being too concerned with styles and conventions. For example, in L’Étoile there is a kissing quartet, a tickling trio and a sneezing aria…! How did you come up with that?’

  How did you actually get into opera?
  ‘As a child, I loved listening to music and imagining the stories that were being told and what they would look like. I started as a theatre director, but soon worked on musicals and then on opera. I think opera is such a beautiful art form because everyone works together. I find the way all the art disciplines come together and the many ways in which you can convey the content in opera endlessly fascinating!’

  TICKETS

  Cast

  Ouf I	Erik Slik
  Lazuli	Brenda Poupard
  La Princesse Laoula	Anna Emelianova
  Siroco	Martijn Sanders
  Hérisson de Porc-Épic	Sander de Jong
  Aloès	Nienke Nasserian
  Tapioca	Jeroen de Vaal
  Choir	Theaterkoor Opera Zuid
  Orchestra	Philzuid

  

  Erik
  Slik

  Ouf I

  Website

  

  Brenda
  Poupard

  Lazuli

  

  Anna
  Emelianova

  La Princesse Laoula

  Website

  

  Martijn
  Sanders

  Siroco

  Website

  

  Sander
  de Jong

  Hérisson de Porc-Épic

  Website

  

  Nienke
  Nasserian

  Aloès

  Website

  

  Jeroen
  de Vaal

  Tapioca

  

  Philzuid

  Orchestra

  Creatives

  Conductor	Nicolas Krüger
  Director	Matthew Eberhardt
  Set- & costume design	Zahra Mansouri
  Light design	Danny Vavrečka
  Hair & make-up design	Pilo Pilkes
  Assistant musical direction & choir leader	Bianca Chillemi
  Assistant direction	Nicole Morel
  Assistant director & language coach	Geoffrey Boissy

  

  Nicolas
  Krüger

  Conductor

  Website

  

  Matthew
  Eberhardt

  Director

  Website

  

  Zahra
  Mansouri

  Set- & costume design

  Website

  

  Danny
  Vavrečka

  Light design

  

  Pilo
  Pilkes

  Hair & make-up design

  

  Bianca
  Chillemi

  Assistant musical direction & choir leader

  

  Nicole
  Morel

  Assistant direction

  

  Geoffrey
  Boissy

  Assistant director & language coach

  Media

  Photos

  

  

  

  

  

  

  

  Video

• Atman! (8+)

  11 April 202515:36 Comments Off on Atman! (8+)

  Leonard Evers and Bart Moeyaert discuss Atman! in detail.

  > Podcast NPO Klassiek

  ‘It feels a bit like sitting around a campfire, listening to an adventure. […] The music helps you really feel what Atman is feeling.’

  > Review Place de l’Opera

  ‘There is only one home.’

  > Review De Standaard

  When the journey is more exciting than the destination.

  > Review de Volkskrant

  ‘The story of the youth opera Atman! is quickly told, but the rich, associative language of librettist Bart Moeyaert (both sung and spoken) and the inventive music of composer Leonard Evers turn Atman! into an impressionistic, layered journey.’

  > Review NRC

  ‘What if you’ve lost yourself? What if you have your key in your pocket, but you no longer know where your home is?’

  > Interview Bart Moeyaert in Tijdschrift Lezen

  

  Info

  Opera Zuid, De Nationale Opera and the Nederlandse Reisopera present Atman!, a musical tale that borders on the unbelievable.

  Nine-year-old Atman gets lost in his own city. He has the key to his home in his pocket, but can no longer remember where he lives. He asks for directions on the street. A man has no time (‘Ask me again tomorrow’). A woman takes him with her (‘Boys like you make good sailors’). But Atman wants to go home, not cross the ocean. What begins as a simple request (‘Do you know which way I need to go?’) becomes a journey full of detours and obstacles that sometimes seem insurmountable to a nine-year-old boy – or rather: are insurmountable. Composer Leonard Evers and writer Bart Moeyaert give shape to this journey through music and language.

  One-man orchestra
  Leonard Evers previously wrote the children’s opera Goud! for Opera Zuid and De Nationale Opera. It has been performed throughout Europe since 2012. His other operas include Odyssee and Kriebel (2+). In Atman!, Evers makes full use of the accordion’s potential: the ultimate one-man orchestra and wandering instrument.

  For this production, he is collaborating with the acclaimed writer Bart Moeyaert, known for novels such as Broere and Een ander leven. His literary work has received international acclaim, and he has won, among other awards, the Flemish Culture Prize, the Woutertje Pieterse Prize and the prestigious Astrid Lindgren Memorial Award, the highest honour in children’s literature. The libretto of Atman! was also published in book form and won the Woutertje Pieterse Prize for Children’s Literature in 2026.

  Moeyaert on Atman!: ‘I felt the freedom to put music down on paper. Music in the sense of text that is rhythmically musical, that rhymes or doesn’t, that is atonal – at least in my view.’ For Evers, music is the gateway to a boundless world, where he encounters styles, characters and sometimes himself. With just one accordionist and one singer, he manages to bring this adventurous story to life. It is in this purity that the power of Atman! lies. ‘I hope that the audience will recognise something – a feeling – as if a light were coming on somewhere. That is the challenge for me as a composer: to ensure that everything that is said and felt on stage is also felt by the audience.’

  Atman! is directed by Annemiek van Elst, who works with various national and international opera houses. In 2022, Van Elst created and directed the staged Liederabend Eternal Road at Opera Zuid, which explores the life of composer Kurt Weill.

  Atman! is a co-production with Dutch National Opera and Nederlandse Reisopera.

  Atman! lasts about an hour and is sung and spoken in Dutch.

  A CONVERSATION WITH COMPOSER LEONARD EVERS AND LIBRETTIST BART MOEYAERT

  When writer Bart Moeyaert and composer Leonard Evers write, the work becomes part of their lives. For a moment, nothing else exists. Atman!, a (youth) opera in which a boy loses his home, is the latest project they are working on together. ‘If the children in the audience feel that they want to be part of the world that is taking place on stage, we have done well.’

  Atman! is a brand new opera. What is the story about?
  Leonard: ‘Atman! is about being lost, about searching for a home.’
  Bart: ‘What is home? A house with a t in front of it? The place where you were born, where you live, where you have breakfast? Or is it a feeling inside? Can you be at home somewhere where you don’t live, for example by thinking about your mother or the cat dozing on the windowsill?’
  Leonard: ‘Bart gives it a very poetic, fairytale-like interpretation.’

  And how will that sound?
  Leonard: ‘For me, music has always been the gateway to a very adventurous and limitless world. I see composing as a quest, in which I am open to many influences. The result is a report of an incredible experience in which I encounter all kinds of styles. I hope that the people in the audience will recognize something in my music, as if a light goes on somewhere. I try to achieve that by investigating how the character feels. How does an incredible craving for fries sound to me, for example? From there I start sketching and then I stay as close as possible to the rhythm of the language.’

  Do you want to convey a message to the audience?
  Bart: ‘I would like it if our audience thinks about: what is my home? That people reflect on what they experienced in the theatre afterwards.’
  Leonard: ‘The great thing about theatre is that as a spectator you end up in a world that you don’t know yet. But, in which – if all goes well – you do recognise things or feel something that you sometimes feel in real life. Theatre enables you to experience and feel things that you might not normally dare to do or hide away.’
  Bart: ‘In the theatre you agree: we are now going to believe what is happening and we are not going to explain it. Maybe tomorrow or in a week you will realise: oh, this was it, that is what it meant. I think that is fantastic about theatre.’
  Leonard: ‘Music helps you not to want to explain everything right away, but to first experience what is happening. That is the challenge for me as a composer, to ensure that everything that is said and felt on stage is also felt by the audience.’

  Is it different to make an opera for children?
  Bart: ‘I don’t write differently because it’s for children. I write with a voice. I hear the voice of a boy who is about eight years old. He’s going to tell the story. Sometimes there’s a four-syllable word in it. Oops! [laughing] But because of the other words around it, you can understand that word. This opera is for everyone!’
  Leonard: ‘I agree with that. But, for children, I compose even more sharply. Integrity in the music is even more important. I really have to be completely myself with children, otherwise they won’t fall for it. Of course, that has to be the case for adults too, but they don’t walk away during a performance to do something more interesting. A younger audience does!’
  Bart: ‘That reminds me of a performance of Die Zauberflöte that I saw in Frankfurt. A quarter of the audience were children, and it was the children who stripped the adults of their veneer. They stood on their chairs, pulled at their parents’ sleeves: look over there, listen! That solid atmosphere of ‘opera is serious’ was completely destroyed. That’s what I want.’
  Leonard: ‘During a performance of my show Kriebel, which I created together with Oorkaan, there was a little girl who walked onto the stage to dance with the dancer. Her mother immediately took her away. I thought that was such a shame! That’s exactly what you want, that your audience feels so attracted to that world that they think: I want to be in that, that’s where I belong.’
  Bart: ‘My text says something like: come closer, come to me.’

  So there will soon be 1 accordionist, 1 singer and no less than 100 children on stage who want to get involved?
  Leonard: ‘Yes, you must have that feeling! If I am not so involved in what is happening on stage, then something is wrong.’
  Bart: ‘Or I am so overwhelmed that I just let it in – with my mouth open. And then I will do something with it later. That is also nice.’

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  Info

  Opera Zuid, De Nationale Opera and the Nederlandse Reisopera present Atman!, a musical tale that borders on the unbelievable.

  Nine-year-old Atman gets lost in his own city. He has the key to his home in his pocket, but can no longer remember where he lives. He asks for directions on the street. A man has no time (‘Ask me again tomorrow’). A woman takes him with her (‘Boys like you make good sailors’). But Atman wants to go home, not cross the ocean. What begins as a simple request (‘Do you know which way I need to go?’) becomes a journey full of detours and obstacles that sometimes seem insurmountable to a nine-year-old boy – or rather: are insurmountable. Composer Leonard Evers and writer Bart Moeyaert give shape to this journey through music and language.

  One-man orchestra
  Leonard Evers previously wrote the children’s opera Goud! for Opera Zuid and De Nationale Opera. It has been performed throughout Europe since 2012. His other operas include Odyssee and Kriebel (2+). In Atman!, Evers makes full use of the accordion’s potential: the ultimate one-man orchestra and wandering instrument.

  For this production, he is collaborating with the acclaimed writer Bart Moeyaert, known for novels such as Broere and Een ander leven. His literary work has received international acclaim, and he has won, among other awards, the Flemish Culture Prize, the Woutertje Pieterse Prize and the prestigious Astrid Lindgren Memorial Award, the highest honour in children’s literature. The libretto of Atman! was also published in book form and won the Woutertje Pieterse Prize for Children’s Literature in 2026.

  Moeyaert on Atman!: ‘I felt the freedom to put music down on paper. Music in the sense of text that is rhythmically musical, that rhymes or doesn’t, that is atonal – at least in my view.’ For Evers, music is the gateway to a boundless world, where he encounters styles, characters and sometimes himself. With just one accordionist and one singer, he manages to bring this adventurous story to life. It is in this purity that the power of Atman! lies. ‘I hope that the audience will recognise something – a feeling – as if a light were coming on somewhere. That is the challenge for me as a composer: to ensure that everything that is said and felt on stage is also felt by the audience.’

  Atman! is directed by Annemiek van Elst, who works with various national and international opera houses. In 2022, Van Elst created and directed the staged Liederabend Eternal Road at Opera Zuid, which explores the life of composer Kurt Weill.

  Atman! is a co-production with Dutch National Opera and Nederlandse Reisopera.

  Atman! lasts about an hour and is sung and spoken in Dutch.

  A CONVERSATION WITH COMPOSER LEONARD EVERS AND LIBRETTIST BART MOEYAERT

  When writer Bart Moeyaert and composer Leonard Evers write, the work becomes part of their lives. For a moment, nothing else exists. Atman!, a (youth) opera in which a boy loses his home, is the latest project they are working on together. ‘If the children in the audience feel that they want to be part of the world that is taking place on stage, we have done well.’

  Atman! is a brand new opera. What is the story about?
  Leonard: ‘Atman! is about being lost, about searching for a home.’
  Bart: ‘What is home? A house with a t in front of it? The place where you were born, where you live, where you have breakfast? Or is it a feeling inside? Can you be at home somewhere where you don’t live, for example by thinking about your mother or the cat dozing on the windowsill?’
  Leonard: ‘Bart gives it a very poetic, fairytale-like interpretation.’

  And how will that sound?
  Leonard: ‘For me, music has always been the gateway to a very adventurous and limitless world. I see composing as a quest, in which I am open to many influences. The result is a report of an incredible experience in which I encounter all kinds of styles. I hope that the people in the audience will recognize something in my music, as if a light goes on somewhere. I try to achieve that by investigating how the character feels. How does an incredible craving for fries sound to me, for example? From there I start sketching and then I stay as close as possible to the rhythm of the language.’

  Do you want to convey a message to the audience?
  Bart: ‘I would like it if our audience thinks about: what is my home? That people reflect on what they experienced in the theatre afterwards.’
  Leonard: ‘The great thing about theatre is that as a spectator you end up in a world that you don’t know yet. But, in which – if all goes well – you do recognise things or feel something that you sometimes feel in real life. Theatre enables you to experience and feel things that you might not normally dare to do or hide away.’
  Bart: ‘In the theatre you agree: we are now going to believe what is happening and we are not going to explain it. Maybe tomorrow or in a week you will realise: oh, this was it, that is what it meant. I think that is fantastic about theatre.’
  Leonard: ‘Music helps you not to want to explain everything right away, but to first experience what is happening. That is the challenge for me as a composer, to ensure that everything that is said and felt on stage is also felt by the audience.’

  Is it different to make an opera for children?
  Bart: ‘I don’t write differently because it’s for children. I write with a voice. I hear the voice of a boy who is about eight years old. He’s going to tell the story. Sometimes there’s a four-syllable word in it. Oops! [laughing] But because of the other words around it, you can understand that word. This opera is for everyone!’
  Leonard: ‘I agree with that. But, for children, I compose even more sharply. Integrity in the music is even more important. I really have to be completely myself with children, otherwise they won’t fall for it. Of course, that has to be the case for adults too, but they don’t walk away during a performance to do something more interesting. A younger audience does!’
  Bart: ‘That reminds me of a performance of Die Zauberflöte that I saw in Frankfurt. A quarter of the audience were children, and it was the children who stripped the adults of their veneer. They stood on their chairs, pulled at their parents’ sleeves: look over there, listen! That solid atmosphere of ‘opera is serious’ was completely destroyed. That’s what I want.’
  Leonard: ‘During a performance of my show Kriebel, which I created together with Oorkaan, there was a little girl who walked onto the stage to dance with the dancer. Her mother immediately took her away. I thought that was such a shame! That’s exactly what you want, that your audience feels so attracted to that world that they think: I want to be in that, that’s where I belong.’
  Bart: ‘My text says something like: come closer, come to me.’

  So there will soon be 1 accordionist, 1 singer and no less than 100 children on stage who want to get involved?
  Leonard: ‘Yes, you must have that feeling! If I am not so involved in what is happening on stage, then something is wrong.’
  Bart: ‘Or I am so overwhelmed that I just let it in – with my mouth open. And then I will do something with it later. That is also nice.’

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  Cast

  Vocals	Liza Vjera Lozica
  Vocals	Isabel Pronk
  Accordion	Kaat Vanhaverbeke

  

  Liza
  Vjera Lozica

  Vocals

  Website

  

  Isabel
  Pronk

  Vocals

  Website

  

  Kaat
  Vanhaverbeke

  Accordion

  Website

  Creatives

  Composition	Leonard Evers
  Libretto	Bart Moeyaert
  Direction	Annemiek van Elst
  Set design	Douwe Hibma
  Costume design	Maartje Prins
  Light design	Cor van den Brink
  Dramaturgy	Joep Hupperetz
  Dramaturgy	Wout van Tongeren
  Assistent regie	Eva Graaff

  

  Leonard
  Evers

  Composition

  Website

  

  Bart
  Moeyaert

  Libretto

  Website

  

  Annemiek
  van Elst

  Direction

  Website

  

  Douwe
  Hibma

  Set design

  Website

  

  Maartje
  Prins

  Costume design

  Website

  

  Cor
  van den Brink

  Light design

  

  Joep
  Hupperetz

  Dramaturgy

  Website

  

  Wout
  van Tongeren

  Dramaturgy

  Website

  

  Eva
  Graaff

  Assistent regie

  Media

  Leonard Evers and Bart Moeyaert discuss Atman! in detail.

  Podcast NPO Klassiek

  ‘It feels a bit like sitting around a campfire, listening to an adventure. […] The music helps you really feel what Atman is feeling.’

  Review Place de l’Opera

  ‘There is only one home.’

  Review De Standaard

  When the journey is more exciting than the destination.

  Review de Volkskrant

  ‘The story of the youth opera Atman! is quickly told, but the rich, associative language of librettist Bart Moeyaert (both sung and spoken) and the inventive music of composer Leonard Evers turn Atman! into an impressionistic, layered journey.’

  Review NRC

  ‘What if you’ve lost yourself? What if you have your key in your pocket, but you no longer know where your home is?’

  Interview Bart Moeyaert in Tijdschrift Lezen

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  Video

  Partners