ANNOUNCEMENT SEASON 25/26

“Our house sets its sights on the future. We create and present performances you can not not see—with acuity, empathy and artistic courage. ITA is a place where professionalism and imagination come together, in a time that calls for perspective, courage, and empathy.” – Eline Arbo, artistic director ITA

What is happening around us cannot be ignored. Artists draw inspiration from the times we live in: urgent stories, new voices, and radical imagination come together in the 25/26 theater season. From war and oppression to the search for freedom and humanity. Theatre is an exercise in empathy—in looking through someone else’s eyes, but also in keeping your own eyes open. Because some things are simply impossible not to see. With the power of the ITA Ensemble, the vision of a new generation of creators, and present-day events as an undercurrent, we invite you. To engage. To reflect. To experience. Or perhaps just to forget for a moment.

Pre-sale starts Friday, May 23 at noon

A new direction, a clear voice
Eline Arbo, Rebecca Frecknall and Mina Salehpour each work with the ITA Ensemble in their own way this season, contributing to an urgent and layered repertoire. Arbo directs Copenhagen Trilogy, a raw portrait of being a woman and artistry by Danish writer Tove Ditlevsen. Rebecca Frecknall, our new Ibsen Artist in Residence, performs a radical adaptation of The Master Builder titled The Architect.

In October, Mina Salehpour makes her ITA debut with the world premiere of Prophet Song, an adaptation of Paul Lynch’s Booker Prize-winning novel. ITA is the first theatre in the world to be granted the rights for this stage production. Arbo says, “I am proud that Mina Salehpour is joining us to make Prophet Song. She brings social themes of oppression and the search for freedom with strong imagery and emotionality. Together with her team, she creates deeply human performances that make even heavy themes accessible to a wide audience.”

The ITA Ensemble is the soul of our house. With their craftsmanship and dedication, they build a living repertoire that evolves with the times. They make the difference in every performance—from grand dramas to intimate stories.
In addition to the three new productions, several audience favorites will return this season: The End of Eddy, Giovanni’s Room, The Wall, Primeval and Other Times, Prima Facie, and The Laws. With The End of Eddy and The Laws, ITA will also tour various theatres across the Netherlands in the coming season.

Guest productions and special voices
This season, we welcome a number of remarkable guest productions from both the Netherlands and abroad—featuring powerful stories and familiar faces. Pierre Bokma appears in Voor het pensioen (Toneelhuis / Olympique Dramatique), a sharp comedy about family and the past, and in Eines langen Tages Reise in die Nacht by Eugene O’Neill, a moving family tragedy presented by Schauspielhaus Bochum and directed by Johan Simons.

In addition, Moeder van Europa (Orkater) and the energetic GERMAN STAATSTHEATER by Rosie Sommers and Micha Goldberg offer new perspectives on power, community, and solidarity. Sisterhood by Romana Vrede explores friendship and honesty in new phases of life.

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Dance: new perspectives and powerful stories
Dunja Jocić casts a new light on Debussy’s Prélude à l’après-midi d’un faune with Afternoon of a Nymph, in which she liberates the female nymph from her silent role. With seven dancers, intense movement, and music by Jonathan Bonny, she radically transforms this iconic piece.

In 2026, Introdans shines a spotlight on Sidi Larbi Cherkaoui with a focus program featuring works such as Fall, In Memoriam, and a new solo by Marc Brew. While Introdans pays tribute to Cherkaoui, the creator himself is far from idle. In his new work Ihsane, he builds upon Vlaemsch (chez moi), a piece about his Flemish mother and roots. This time, he turns his gaze to his Moroccan father.

Bad Nature—a collaboration between Club Guy & Roni, Australasian Dance Collective, and HIIIT—explores the tension between nostalgia for nature and the pull of technology.

In addition, ITA presents four productions by Nederlands Dans Theater this season: Wildsong, Resonance, I dreamt, It was, and The edge of things.

Family
In Kantjil en de Tijger (8+) by Toneelmakerij/OORKAAN, granddaughter Indra uncovers her family history with the help of a magic little deer. With this production, ITA and Toneelmakerij continue their tradition of successful holiday season performances. Yanasei (6+), a dance and music performance by Ryan Djojokarso, follows a boy who confronts his past in a magical world. Captain Fantastic (8+) by HNTjong tells the story of a self-sufficient family that ventures into the civilized world after the death of the mother. BLUE (14+) by Maas Theater en Dans, DOX, and Blackbirds follows young people in a youth care institution in their search for freedom, self-expression, and vulnerability.

Perspective
With the Haagsche Colleges, ITA offers in-depth exploration of current themes. Beatrice de Graaf, for example, discusses right-wing radicalism in Chaos in de Westerse wereld. Griet Op de Beeck talks about personal growth in Het wordt beter. Other lectures cover high-profile legal cases (Naakt voor de rechter), taking control of your life (De economische stand van het land), language and gender (Vrouwen en mannen op het werk), and political polarization (Het Amerika van Trump).