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toneelgroep amsterdam
ABOUT TA
THE ENTERTAINER
THE FOUNTAINHEAD
HAMLET VS HAMLET ANGELS IN AMERICA
MARY STUART
MEDEA
QUEEN LEAR
ANTIGONE
NORA
OTHELLO
KINGS OF WAR
TICKET SALES
TA THANKS
SURTITLED PERFORMANCES IN AMSTERDAM 14|15
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content / the ensemble / about ta
ABOUT TA
Toneelgroep Amsterdam (TA) is the largest repertory theatre
company of the Netherlands. Each season TA premieres new plays
of internationally acclaimed directors, such as Ivo van Hove,
Thomas Ostermeier, Johan Simons, Luk Perceval, Simon Stone
and Guy Cassiers, but also provides opportunities for new directing
talent. In addition, the theatre group reprises several of its most
successful pieces from previous seasons.
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Our large ‘ensemble’ is a permanent pool of acting talent which
enables us to develop distinctive and daring productions. It also
enables us to continue reviving our successful productions at
regular intervals. Scenes from a Marriage, for example, has been
in the repertoire for over ten years; Roman Tragedies and Opening
Night for over eight. This is only possible because of the permanent
ensemble of 22 actors and actresses, as well as longstanding contacts
with some 25 renowned guest actors.
THE ENSEMBLE
& GUESTS
KITTY COURBOIS, HÉLÈNE DEVOS, JIP VAN DEN DOOL, ROELAND FERNHOUT,
FRED GOESSENS, JANNI GOSLINGA, AUS GREIDANUS JR., MARIEKE HEEBINK,
ROBERT DE HOOG, GAITE JANSEN, HANS KESTING, HUGO KOOLSCHIJN, RAMSEY
NASR, CHRIS NIETVELT, CELIA NUFAAR, FRIEDA PITTOORS, ALWIN PULINCKX,
HALINA REIJN, VANJA RUKAVINA, GIJS SCHOLTEN VAN ASCHAT, BART SLEGERS,
EELCO SMITS, MARIANA APARICIO TORRES, JOHAN VAN ASSCHE, LAURA DE
BOER, JULIETTE BINOCHE, EVGENIA BRENDES, CHARLIE-CHAN DAGELET,
KATELIJNE DAMEN, TAMAR VAN DEN DOP, HARM DUCO SCHUT, MARC VAN
EEGHEM, SUZANNE GROTENHUIS, ABKE HARING, FEDJA VAN HUÊT, KEVIN
JANSSENS, MARWAN CHICO KENZARI, ANNA RAADSVELD, MATTEO SIMONI,
KARINA SMULDERS, LEON VOORBERG
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In the space of just a few years, the company has achieved an enviable worldwide reputation. During the 14|15 season, we shall be
involved in yet another large-scale co-production, Kings of war,
staged in association with the Barbican Centre in London and
Théâtre National de Chaillot in Paris. We shall also contribute to
various artistic projects throughout the world, from Taipei to
Barcelona and from Vilnius to São Paulo.
Amsterdam is and will remain our home base. It is where we
develop and present all our productions, together with an extensive
Fringe programme. Each year, we give approximately 150 performances in the Stadsschouwburg Amsterdam, a further 75 on tour
in the Netherlands, and over 75 (in Dutch) in other countries.
We provide English surtitles for all our August and Thursday
evening performances in Amsterdam. The surtitles during performances are projected as close to the actors as possible and are
always controlled manually, making it easy to follow the action
for visitors who do not understand Dutch.
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toneelgroep amsterdam
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the entertainer
The Entertainer is a portrayal of the Rice family, spanning three
generations of vaudeville artists who are finding it increasingly
difficult to secure their position in the midst of the fast-changing
world.
Conversations between grandfather Billy and his granddaughter
Jean alternate with performances by his son Archie, whose sarcastic
songs hold a mirror up to his audience. When the family comes
together and the liquor kicks in, news of the death of Archie’s son
Mick – killed in action overseas – leaves all its members feeling
utterly adrift.
John Osborne paints a grim picture of England as an empire in
decline, where the underprivileged classes are no more than cannon
fodder and their patriotism and latent racism combine to create
a toxic cocktail. By turns sentimental, provocative and tender,
this bold play draws on the rich music hall tradition, dressing
despair as comedy and setting cynicism to the tune of bittersweet
melodies.
‘Sons are sent to fight a distant war. Marriages are on the brink of
collapse due to cheating and harlotry. Theatres are outrivalled by
striptease joints and television. Bailiffs are banging on the doors – the
only way to avoid bankruptcy is to evade or to live on credit. The
Entertainer shows the whole world falling apart. The play sketches a
moving image of the struggle of five unimportant people to survive in
a rapidly changing world. They are the five members of a twisted
family that tries to stay afloat through using copious amounts of
humour. They’ ll always have their music: They supply their own lives,
society, politics and the drowning world with vicious commentary
through razorsharp songs and hilarious acts. The Entertainer turns
the downfall into a stirring and vivacious feast. When disaster draws
near and crisis is permanently present, sometimes the only remedies
are humour and music. ‘Why should I care? / Why should I let it
touch me! / Why shouldn’t I, sit down and try / To let it pass over
me?’ – Eric de Vroedt
THE ENTERTAINER
BY JOHN OSBORNE | DIRECTED BY ERIC DE VROEDT
WITH MARIANA APARICIO TORRES, FRED GOESSENS, JANNI
GOSLINGA, ALWIN PULINCKX, GIJS SCHOLTEN VAN ASCHAT
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the fountainhead
‘The theme of my novel’. said Ayn Rand, ‘ is the struggle between
individualism and collectivism, not in the political arena but in the
human soul. My aim in writing The Fountainhead was always to
present a novel whose protagonist embodies the ideal man.’ That man
is Howard Roark, a creative artist who, like a sun, is surrounded
by less talented and easily influenced characters who envy him
his genius and vocation. But equally, The Fountainhead is the
story of the struggle between two lovers: between Roark and the
beautiful, idealistic and uncompromising Dominique Francon
– two likeminded spirits determined never to sacrifice their own
liberty or autonomy.
‘When I first read the novel the characters gripped me, each and every
one of them humans of flesh and blood, and at the same time they
are larger than life. They are symbols for ideas of grandeur: There’s
the brilliant architect Howard Roark who follows his own ideals and
dreams of a new world, a city of tomorrow. And then there’s Peter
Keating, his colleague who constantly compromises and adapts his
designs to fit the market’s demands. The battle between Roark and
his adversaries is bloodcurdlingly well written. To me, The
Fountainhead is a war of ideas. The great question the book poses:
What is creation? What does it mean to create? And what is integrity
in the process of creating? The novel is set in the milieu of architects
in Twenties New York, where the battle between modernism and
classicism raged, but even today its questioning of creation is one that
plays in our minds: The balance between the commercial and the
innovative, the market and pure expression. Rand uses the architect’s
world as a metaphor to discuss art, engagement, individualism and
autonomy. But The Fountainhead is also a love story that tinkers at
the edges of decency. A relentless love develops between Howard Roark
and Dominique Francon, that shows the hardships of giving yourself
wholly to another while maintaining your own integrity. At a certain
point Roark states: ‘I could die for you, but I couldn’t and wouldn’t
live for you.’ It is an engaging, addictive novel that was begging to be
staged.’ – Ivo van Hove
THE FOUNTAINHEAD
BY AYN RAND | DIRECTED BY IVO VAN HOVE
WITH TAMAR VAN DEN DOP, AUS GREIDANUS JR., ROBERT
DE HOOG, HANS KESTING, HUGO KOOLSCHIJN, RAMSEY NASR,
FRIEDA PITTOORS, HALINA REIJN, BART SLEGERS
PRIVATE PRODUCER EMMERIQUE GRANPRÉ MOLIERE
THE FOUNTAINHEAD BY AYN RAND
USED BY PERMISSION OF CURTIS BROWN LTD.
COPYRIGHT © 1943
ALL RIGHTS RESERVED
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hamlet vs hamlet
Regicide is what it’s all about, and how young Hamlet’s existence
is completely controlled by it. Hamlet’s father is murdered by his
own brother, Hamlet’s uncle Claudius. The ghost of Hamlet’s
father calls on his son to avenge him. Hamlet is torn between his
willingness to kill the murderer and his love for his adulterous
mother, who marries Claudius shortly after the murder.
With Tom Lanoye, Hamlet is on the brink of adulthood. As an
adolescent he is old enough to see through the abuses of power
in his vicinity, but he also feels crushes by the adult world. The
doubts and confusion that renders leave him feeling paralysed.
Hamlet’s tormented monologues are cries from the heart and
personal exorcisms, a charge against all injustice, certainly – but
also a cursing of his own incompetence. His own actions/deeds
are mainly words, rather than deeds. He is human like us all:
inconsistent and ambiguous. Striving for his ambitions and fighting
his fears brings him in direct confrontation with himself: Hamlet
vs Hamlet.
‘In the adaptation that Tom Lanoye made of Hamlet, the development
to adulthood is a central theme. In this process, imagination plays an
important part. Hamlet’s imagination simultaneously stimulates and
isolates him. Eventually he becomes entrapped within himself. He is
at the centrum of power, but acts like an outsider. That is the core of
his identity crisis: he clashes with himself. He crumbles into fragments.
For Tom, and for me, that is also a metaphor for the political crisis
that Europe is going through now: On the one hand there is the ambition to be a part of a globalised world, and on the other is the growing
fear of losing perspective and there is a constant hankering for local
identity and security. Hamlet stays an essentially European play.’
– Guy Cassiers
HAMLET VS HAMLET
BY TOM LANOYE | AFTER WILLIAM SHAKESPEARE
DIRECTED BY GUY CASSIERS | WITH JOHAN VAN ASSCHE,
KATELIJNE DAMEN, MARC VAN EEGHEM, ROELAND FERNHOUT,
ABKE HARING, GAITE JANSEN, KEVIN JANSSENS, CHRIS
NIETVELT, EELCO SMITS | PRODUCTION TONEELGROEP
AMSTERDAM/TONEELHUIS | COPRODUCTION DESINGEL
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angels in america
Angels in America is a two-part play about love, fear and hope
for change. We are in the America of the early 80s. A new disease
is ravaging the gay community but is being hushed up by the
conservative government. The lives of a group of New Yorkers
unwittingly become entangled. Their fears and aspirations find
expression in dreams, lies and heart-breaking relationships. Angels
in America is a sensitive and complex portrait of a restless generation that is in revolt against a heartless society. Within the intimacy
of a living room, the stage becomes a microcosm of the world and
mankind unleashes its own hesitant revolution.
The story of Angels in America unfolds in the USA during the
Reagan years. The political climate is thick with paranoia and
moralistic navel-gazing. The latest invasion is called AIDS, a
disease that initially affects the gay community in particular, and
is hushed up by the conservative government.
Tony Kushner received the Pulitzer Prize for Drama for Angels
in America: A Gay Fantasia on National Themes. Kushner in the
Dutch newspaper NRC about Angels in America by Toneelgroep
Amsterdam: ‘It was awe-inspiring, it completely blew me away. …
America is full of actors desperate to feel something on stage. The
playwright’s words merely provide them with the sounds to match
these emotions. I need actors who devote excessive attention to the
detail of the script. And I get that here … I love Hans Kestings’
recklessness, his ruthless passion, and his quick tempo. His physical
acting is better than any Cohn I’ve ever seen.’
ANGELS IN AMERICA
BY TONY KUSHNER | DIRECTED BY IVO VAN HOVE
WITH HÉLÈNE DEVOS, ROELAND FERNHOUT, MARIEKE HEEBINK,
FEDJA VAN HUÊT, MARWAN CHICO KENZARI, HANS KESTING,
ALWIN PULINCKX, EELCO SMITS
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toneelgroep amsterdam
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mary stuart
Mary Stuart is a majestic drama which revolves around two
legendary figures of European history, Elizabeth I of England and
her Catholic cousin Mary, Queen of Scots. Friedrich Schiller
writes a blood-chilling reconstruction of Mary’s final days as she
awaits execution for plotting to murder Elizabeth. Her imprisonment is the culmination of a long rivalry between the two women,
in which Mary’s claim to the throne has created a climate of
suspicion and deceit. Schiller subtly reveals Elizabeth’s reticence;
she has her arch-rival in her power at last but is unwilling to take
responsibility for her death. It would appear that Mary is less
afraid to die than Elizabeth is to kill her. Behind the masks of
political power, Schiller’s characters are women of flesh and blood.
They are fascinated by each other but are caught in a tangled web
of rivalry and jealousy. The puritanical, pragmatic Elizabeth sees
how the refined and flamboyant Mary manipulates the men in
her life and yet suffers from the same sense of isolation. The piece
is not only a finely crafted historical drama about power, ambition
and responsibility, but an intimate portrait of two women trapped
by their political roles. With its beautiful verse and refined psychological characterizations, Mary Stuart is acknowledged as a
masterpiece in the oeuvre of Friedrich Schiller (1759-1805) and
of the German classical period.
‘The play is about two women in power. Elizabeth and Mary face
the most extreme consequences of that power: a life or death decision
in the interests of the state. Elizabeth must put aside her personal
feelings and live up to the expectations that others have of her as a
world leader. She faces the ultimate test of political responsibility. The
piece reveals that it is indeed ‘ lonely at the top’. Its central characters
are aware that they are writing history. For me, that is its essence: the
characters must review their lives and their position at a turning point
in history. Mary contemplates her impending death in an almost
operatic staging of her final hours. Elizabeth is in denial. She feels
isolated and is fully aware that history will condemn her too. The
piece remains highly relevant today, dealing with powerful women
who must contend with their own emotions and their place in history.’
– Ivo van Hove
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MARY STUART
BY FRIEDRICH SCHILLER | DIRECTED BY IVO VAN HOVE
WITH KATELIJNE DAMEN, JIP VAN DEN DOOL, MARC VAN
EEGHEM, ROBERT DE HOOG, KEVIN JANSSENS, HANS KESTING,
CHRIS NIETVELT, HALINA REIJN, MATTEO SIMONI, EELCO
SMITS | PRIVATE PRODUCER ANDA WINTERS, GERT-JAN AND
CORINNE VAN DEN BERGH – RAAT | PRODUCTION TONEELGROEP
AMSTERDAM/TONEELHUIS
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toneelgroep amsterdam
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medea
Few women have inspired as many words as Medea. And as
standards and values have changed throughout the centuries,
there have been countless interpretations of her story. Simon Stone
bases his version on mythology and the tragedy by Euripides.
Medea is a Caucasian princess who falls in love with the Greek
hero Jason when he arrives in her country in search of the Golden
Fleece. Medea helps him in his quest, turning her back on her
own family and culture, and even killing her own brother in the
process. Condemned in her own land, she follows Jason to Greece
and they are married. She bears him two children and their lives
appear to be forever intertwined. Some years later, however, Jason
falls in love with Creusa (Glauce), daughter of the king, and attempts to rid himself of Medea. He tells her that he intends to
marry Creusa in order to secure the future of his children. His
cowardly lies prompt Medea to wreak revenge. She sends Creusa
a wedding dress and coronet covered in poison, resulting in the
death of both Creusa and her father. Medea’s own two sons are
also murdered. Medea, the tragic lover and jilted wife who hoped
to devote her life to Jason, is remembered only as a ruthless and
barbaric murderess.
‘The story of Medea is timeless. When a couple separate, one partner’s
desire to hurt the other can go so far that they destroy the very thing
they hold most dear: their children. In Medea, a woman takes the
lives of her own sons. What would drive someone to such a deed? Is
it the realization that everything she once meant to her husband is
no more: that he has ‘traded her in for a younger model’? Medea was
once Jason’s muse, the woman who seduced and enchanted him. Now
that she is older and no longer fertile, he abandons her. She has no
part in his plans and ambitions. He shuns her and takes away her
very purpose in life. She has reached the end of her tether. She refuses
to give up her children and is prepared to take the most drastic action.
Does she want to hurt him? Is she seeking revenge for his treachery,
or are her actions a manifestation of her devotion? Perhaps she is
simply mad. Medea is about the power of a woman who once again
experiences the exclusion she once felt in a dim and distant past.’
– Simon Stone
Although only thirty, the Australian actor, director and writer
Simon Stone is one of the most acclaimed theatre-makers in the
international circuit. He likes to take pieces from the standard
repertoire which, with the help of his cast, he reworks into intimate,
almost cinematic performances. He often works on the basis of
improvisation and characterizations suggested by a play, creating
an entirely new script through which the original nevertheless
shines. Stone frequently returns to the classics and mythology
because he believes that they raise all the essential questions about
the human condition. ‘You cannot make theatre based on fear or
compromises; without polemics there is no art.’
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MEDEA
BY SIMON STONE | AFTER EURIPIDES | DIRECTED BY SIMON
STONE | WITH EVGENIA BRENDES, FRED GOESSENS, AUS
GREIDANUS JR., MARIEKE HEEBINK, GAITE JANSEN, BART
SLEGERS | PRIVATE PRODUCER JOOST AND MARCELLE KUIPER
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toneelgroep amsterdam
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queen lear
In King Lear, Shakespeare tells the story of an ageing king who
must share his kingdom among his three daughters, thus precipitating his own ruin and that of his country. In Tom Lanoye’s
Queen Lear, the kingdom becomes an international family company managed by the eponymous ‘Leading Lady Lear’.
From small beginnings, the firm has prospered and grown to
unimaginable proportions. In Act 1, Leading Lady Lear announces
that the company is to be divided up. She demands that her sons
take an oath of love and allegiance. The youngest son refuses,
with far-reaching consequences. Lanoye paints a portrait of an
elderly businesswoman who has lost all sense of reality. She is
unable to use her power to solve the very real problems all around
her. She is concerned only with popularity and reputation. The
piece is unsurpassed in its ability to present the pettiness and
powerlessness of a ‘ruler’ unable to cope with unforeseen events.
The title role has been written especially for Frieda Pittoors, one
of the grandes dames of Dutch and Flemish theatre.
‘I feel a strong need to say something about power. Political power,
economic power – every form of power. Power is attractive in itself,
and can be acquired in virtually every setting. At the same time, this
piece is about the loss of power, in this case due to narcissism. My
character is a company director who is not particularly concerned
with the business but with her own popularity: how much do people
love me? Who is likely to betray me? Her empire is being destroyed
by conflicts and neglect, but she is oblivious to the problems around
her. Her narcissism is complete; she even believes that a storm is directed
against her personally; that she is the centre of this chaotic universe.
Only her honour and popularity matter to her. Is it not fair to say
that we see this attitude all around us today? There is no politician
with a solution to the European crisis, the climate crisis or the financial
crisis. Does political ‘power’ still exist? Every politician seems to be a
desperate, raging Lear caught in a storm.’ – Eric de Vroedt
QUEEN LEAR
BY TOM LANOYE | AFTER WILLIAM SHAKESPEARE
DIRECTED BY ERIC DE VROEDT | WITH HÉLÈNE DEVOS,
ROELAND FERNHOUT, JANNI GOSLINGA, RAMSEY NASR,
FRIEDA PITTOORS, ALWIN PULINCKX, VANJA RUKAVINA,
GIJS SCHOLTEN VAN ASCHAT
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toneelgroep amsterdam
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antigone
Antigone is a co-production by Toneelgroep Amsterdam, Les
Théâtres de la Ville de Luxembourg and the Barbican Centre in
London. It features leading French actress Juliette Binoche in the
title role. Sophocles’ Antigone is one of the most challenging and
important pieces in the entire repertoire. This unique production
will be seen in various cities throughout the world, including
Luxembourg, Edinburgh, Paris, London, Amsterdam, Antwerp
and Recklinghausen.
Following the bloody power struggle between her brothers,
Antigone attempts to secure a respectable burial for her brother
Polynices, thus defying the edict of her uncle King Creon. She is
accused of treachery and must answer to Creon himself. Her
fraternal love is unwavering, as is her rejection of her uncle’s political views. She stands firm and her obstinacy threatens to bring
the entire state to its knees. Antigone is one of the richest yet most
enigmatic plays in the repertoire; it remains unequalled in its
ability to combine all the fundamental contradictions of the human condition into a single, universally relevant drama. Sophocles
subtly presents and intertwines the conflicts between the living
and the dead, the individual and the state, man and woman, man
and gods, parents and children.
Juliette Binoche is one of the world’s leading film actresses. She
has won several Césars as Best French Actress, as well as a host of
international awards including an Academy Award for her role in
The English Patient. Her filmography includes Les Amants du
Pont-Neuf, The Unbearable Lightness of Being, Bleu, Caché,
Chocolat and Camille Claudel 1915. She has also appeared in
many stage productions, including Harold Pinter’s Betrayal in
London’s West End and in-i at the National Theatre, London, a
collaboration with the dancer and choreographer Akram Khan.
‘Antigone does not accept that her brother Polynices should be made
a scapegoat and denigrated as an inhuman monster. She sets out to
clear his name, showing ruthless passion in defending the rights of the
individual and upholding the unwritten law. There is no place for
her single-minded love in Thebes, where society does not appreciate
her efforts. Nevertheless, Antigone remains resolute. She shouts a defiant
‘No!’ to the world of politics and the laws of the land. As the daughter
of the incestuous marriage between King Oedipus and Jocasta, she is
the embodiment of everything that is forbidden. Antigone is defiance
personified: she is ‘No!’. By following her heart, she destroys an entire
nation. Sophocles’ Antigone is as explosive as a nuclear bomb. It is an
exploration of good and evil which delves into the workings of the
human mind in a crisis. Antigone demonstrates how very unreasonable
reason can be.’ – Ivo van Hove
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ANTIGONE
BY SOPHOCLES | DIRECTED BY IVO VAN HOVE | WITH
JULIETTE BINOCHE | PRODUCTION TONEELGROEP AMSTERDAM,
BARBICAN LONDON, LES THÉÂTRES DE LA VILLE DE
LUXEMBOURG | COPRODUCTION EDINBURGH INTERNATIONAL
FESTIVAL, THÉÂTRE DE LA VILLE - PARIS, RUHRFESTSPIELE
RECKLINGHAUSEN
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toneelgroep amsterdam
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nora
Torvald Helmer and his wife Nora appear to lead an ideal life at
first sight and seem to be perfectly happy. The outward appearance
of their model marriage only reinforces its success. That is, until
an unfortunate incident from Nora’s past suddenly surfaces and
threatens to cast a slur on Helmer’s career. Helmer’s love for Nora
then vanishes as rapidly as it was conceived. His fierce reaction
opens Nora’s eyes. Her world collapses like a doll’s house.
The fundamental issue in A Doll’s House is the conflict between
warm and vibrant Nora and her possessive, unbending Helmer.
A devoted wife and mother, who romps with her children, Nora
is ready to dance a tarantella to charm her husband. Trapped by
her own sacrifices to love, Nora is forced to assert her own dignity
and worth as an individual.
With Nora (A Doll’s House) Norwegian playwright Henrik Ibsen
wrote a classic about a young woman who comes to the realisation
that she spent her entire life in the service of other people. She
tries to break with her husband and prevalent conventional expectations, only to end up in a maelstrom of confusion bordering
on schizophrenia. Nora breaks away from the society that formed
her, but the cracks have penetrated deep into her own identity.
Ibsen is regarded as the founder of modern realistic drama and
contributed several masterpieces to the world’s repertoire with
works such as The Wild Duck, Hedda Gabler and Nora (A Doll’s
House).
NORA
BY HENRIK IBSEN | DIRECTED BY THIBAUD DELPEUT | WITH
JANNI GOSLINGA, AUS GREIDANUS JR., HALINA REIJN, BART
SLEGERS, EELCO SMITS | PRIVATE PRODUCER JOOST AND
MARCELLE KUIPER
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othello
The name of Othello is inextricably linked to that of Iago, proof
positive of the power of jealousy. When Othello passes him over
for promotion, Iago plots hits revenge. He sets out to spike the
happy marriage of Othello and Desdemona with the bitter poison
of jealousy. He spreads false rumours, fanning the flames of latent
racism and discrimination. Othello’s life, both personal and professional disintegrates into chaos. Slowly but surely, the once successful
military man loses control of his thoughts and emotions, with
dreadful consequences. Shakespeare uses Iago’s extreme behaviour
to reveal the very darkest depths to which man can sink. Iago
devises a plot in which he is to play the central role. Prejudice,
suspicion and fear of the unknown form the ideal seedbed for its
success.
‘I found this renewed introduction both exciting and unsettling,’
wrote critic Loek Zonneveld in 2012 when this production of Othello
was revived after an absence of ten years. ‘With his bronze bass-baritone
voice, Hans Kesting sweeps effortlessly between the inferiority complex
of the Moor and the anger prompted by the deceit to which he is
subjected. He cannot appreciate the artificiality of that deceit, partly
because he views the world from above (as a general) but also experiences it from below: that is the essence of his tragedy. Roeland Fernhout
has matured particularly well in the role of Iago. Whatever the
motivation of the character – career-driven bitterness, jealousy in
love or barely concealed lust – the crooked path he weaves finishes in
the straight line of evil, rooted in pure malice and hence both incomprehensible and ultimately destructive. Fernhout has imbued this
motiveless malefactor with a certain greatness. Janni Goslinga is
equally marvellous as Emilia, Iago’s wife who sees all but fails to put
the pieces together.’
This season, Othello will be presented exclusively in Amsterdam
and Taipei.
OTHELLO
BY WILLIAM SHAKESPEARE | DIRECTED BY IVO VAN HOVE
WITH HÉLÈNE DEVOS, ROBERT DE HOOG, ROELAND FERNHOUT,
FRED GOESSENS, JANNI GOSLINGA, HANS KESTING, ALWIN
PULINCKX, ANNA RAADSVELD
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toneelgroep amsterdam
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kings of war
Kings of war combines Henry V, Henry VI and Richard III into
a single, explosive play about leadership. Shakespeare’s kings are
political leaders who come face to face with the ultimate responsibility: they must make the life-or-death decision of whether to
go to war. Shakespeare draws us into the psychology of the rulers,
while also revealing the machinations of their courtiers and advisors. Kings of war lays bare the mechanisms of decision-making
in times of political crisis, exposing the dichotomy between national
interests and self-importance.
Henry V, at first a young and inexperienced monarch, quickly
reveals himself to be a rational, moral leader who is willing to
place his country’s interests above his own. He marries a French
princess in order to secure peace. We nevertheless witness the
chaos which befalls England as various pretenders to the throne
attempt to seize power. Henry VI fails to reconcile the warring
factions and knows that the French are poised to invade.
Shakespeare portrays Henry VI as a ineffectual ruler who is excluded from the centre of power as his country crumbles around
him. His rank leads only to isolation. Richard III is depicted as
the embodiment of evil; a king with absolutely no regard for the
national interests. In fact, he deliberately destroys the fragile peace
which follows the Wars of the Roses. Richard is egocentric: as a
leader, he lacks all empathy and seeks only ultimate power for
himself. He regards himself as ‘ God’s equal’, his only desire to
rule over life and death. England is merely the backdrop.
‘I am constantly thinking about the way in which leaders approach
power and decision-making in a crisis. In Kings of War, we see three
leaders in times of war. The fate of thousands of citizens and soldiers,
and the very future of the country, are in their hands. We see how
each king uses his power n very different ways. It is fascinating to
witness how crucial decisions about life and death are made. This
play shows man at his most noble and at his most perverse. Shakespeare
is unequalled in his portrayal of leadership and power. He creates
kings who are passionate and driven, kings who are hesitant and ineffectual, and those who are just plain mad. He gives us men of flesh
and blood, who must constantly weigh the interests of their country
and subjects against their own. These are men under pressure, leaders
who know that they are writing history, sometimes in the blood of
their people. It is inspiring to discover Shakespeare as a contemporary
who is dealing with the type of events we see on the news every day:
the dark machinations of the people in power and the violence that
their decisions bring about.’ – Ivo van Hove
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KINGS OF WAR
BY WILLIAM SHAKESPEARE | DIRECTED BY IVO VAN HOVE
WITH HÉLÈNE DEVOS, JIP VAN DEN DOOL, HARM DUCO SCHUT,
ROELAND FERNHOUT, FRED GOESSENS, AUS GREIDANUS JR.,
ROBERT DE HOOG, HANS KESTING, HUGO KOOLSCHIJN,
RAMSEY NASR, CHRIS NIETVELT, FRIEDA PITTOORS, ALWIN
PULINCKX, EELCO SMITS | COPRODUCTION BARBICAN LONDON,
HOLLAND FESTIVAL, THÉÂTRE NATIONAL DE CHAILLOT
PRIVATE PRODUCER HARRY AND MARIJKE VAN DEN BERGH
25
toneelgroep amsterdam
ticket sales / ta thanks
TICKET SALES
BOX OFFICE Stadsschouwburg Amsterdam
Open Monday to Saturday, 12:00 - 18:00 or until the start of a performance.
On Sundays and public holidays, the box office is open two hours before the
start of a performance.
TELEPHONE +31 (0)20 624 23 11 | Monday to Saturday, 12:00 - 18:00.
You can also book and print tickets online at ssba.nl or tga.nl/en.
Tickets with the GVB logo provide free entrance to city buses and trams, from
three hours prior, until four hours after the start of the performance (for evening
performances until the end of normal service, with the exception of night
buses).
FIVE TICKETS FOR THE PRICE OF FOUR*
TA THANKS
HER PERFORMANCE PARTNER
HER AMSTERDAM PARTNER
Get the cheapest ticket free when you buy five and save up to 20%.
GROUP DISCOUNT*
If you are with a group of ten or more, you will receive a € 4,00 discount per
person.
SPRINTPAS*
For theatre lovers under thirty: with the € 5,00 Sprintpas last-minute tickets
cost only € 10,00 / € 15,00.
VENUE
Stadsschouwburg Amsterdam is the municipal theatre of the city and serves
as Toneelgroep Amsterdam’s home base. Located in the heart of Amsterdam
on the vibrant Leidseplein (Leidse Square), the Stadsschouwburg Amsterdam
welcomes you to come early, or stay late in Café-Restaurant Stanislavski, where
food and drinks are served all day.
HER SUBSIDIZERS AND FUNDS
Tram lines 1, 2, 5 (departing from Central Station), line 7 and 10 stop in front
of the theatre. Bus 170, 172 and several local and night buses stop nearby.
Parking in the city centre is extremely limited and expensive. Q-Park is the
most convenient location to park. Closer, but smaller is Byzantium. Both on
walking distance of the theatre.
HER BUSINESS PARTNERS
(*) Not valid for premieres or in combination with any other discounts.
TONEELGROEP AMSTERDAM | MARNIXSTRAAT 427 | 1017 PK AMSTERDAM
+31 (0)20 795 99 00 | TGA.NL/EN | [email protected] | @TGAMSTERDAM
FACEBOOK.COM/TONEELGROEPAMSTERDAM
26
27
SURTITLED PERFORMANCES
IN AMSTERDAM 14|15
WED 13 AUG
THU 14 AUG
FRI 15 AUG
SAT 16 AUG
TUE 19 AUG
WED 20 AUG
THU 21 AUG
FRI 22 AUG
SAT 23 AUG
TUE 26 AUG
WED 27 AUG
THU 28 AUG
FRI 29 AUG
SAT 30 AUG
20:00
20:00
20:00
20:00
20:00
20:00
20:00
20:00
20:00
19:30
19:30
19:30
19:30
19:30
THE ENTERTAINER
THE ENTERTAINER
THE ENTERTAINER
THE ENTERTAINER
THE ENTERTAINER
THE ENTERTAINER
THE ENTERTAINER
THE ENTERTAINER
THE ENTERTAINER
THE FOUNTAINHEAD
THE FOUNTAINHEAD
THE FOUNTAINHEAD
THE FOUNTAINHEAD
THE FOUNTAINHEAD
THU 4 SEP SUN 7 SEP THU 11 SEP THU 18 SEP 19:30
20:30
18:00
19:30
THE FOUNTAINHEAD
HAMLET VS HAMLET
ANGELS IN AMERICA
THE FOUNTAINHEAD
THU 2 OCT
20:00
HAMLET VS HAMLET
THU 18 DEC
20:30
MARY STUART
THU 15 JAN
THU 22 JAN
THU 22 JAN
THU 29 JAN
THU 29 JAN
20:30
20:00
20:30
20:00
20:30
MARY STUART
MEDEA
MARY STUART
MEDEA
MARY STUART
THU 5 FEB
20:00
MEDEA
THU 12 MAR
THU 26 MAR
20:00
20:00
QUEEN LEAR
MEDEA
THU 9 APR
WED 15 APR
THU 16 APR
THU 16 APR
FRI 17 APR
THU 23 APR
THU 30 APR
20:00
20:30
20:00
20:30
20:30
20:30
20:30
QUEEN LEAR
ANTIGONE
QUEEN LEAR
ANTIGONE
ANTIGONE
NORA
NORA
THU 7 MAY
THU 14 MAY
20:00
20:00
OTHELLO
OTHELLO
THU 18 JUN
19:00
KINGS OF WAR

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