Surtitled in Amsterdam brochure 14/15 - Toneelgroep Amsterdam by Internationaal Theater Amsterdam

14/15 H S I L ENG N O S E L T I T SUR S Y A D S R U TH

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

3 4 6 8 10 12 14 16 18 20 22 24 26 27 28

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

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. 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. 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. 3

toneelgroep amsterdam 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 EN 4

reprise

the entertainer

NTERTAINER BY JOHN OSBORNE | DIRECTED BY ERIC DE VROEDT WITH MARIANA APARICIO TORRES, FRED GOESSENS, JANNI GOSLINGA, ALWIN PULINCKX, GIJS SCHOLTEN VAN ASCHAT

toneelgroep amsterdam ‘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

reprise

the fountainhead

OUNTAINHEAD 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

toneelgroep amsterdam 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

HAMLE 8

reprise

hamlet vs hamlet

ET 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

toneelgroep amsterdam 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 10

reprise

angels in america

S 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

toneelgroep amsterdam 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

MARY S

premiere

mary stuart

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

toneelgroep amsterdam 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.’ 14

MEDEA

premiere

medea

A 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

toneelgroep amsterdam 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 16

premiere

queen lear

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

toneelgroep amsterdam 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

ANTIGO

premiere

antigone

ONE 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

toneelgroep amsterdam 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 20

reprise

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

toneelgroep amsterdam 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.

OTHELL 22

reprise

othello

LO 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

toneelgroep amsterdam 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

KINGS O

premiere

kings of war

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

toneelgroep amsterdam

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*

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. 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. (*) Not valid for premieres or in combination with any other discounts.

ticket sales / ta thanks

TA THANKS HER PERFORMANCE PARTNER

HER AMSTERDAM PARTNER

HER SUBSIDIZERS AND FUNDS

HER BUSINESS PARTNERS

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