Prophet Song selected for the Nederlands Theater Festival
With great pride, we share that Prophet Song has been selected for the Nederlands Theater Festival 2026. Throughout the theatre season, the Dutch Theatre Jury selects ten of the most outstanding, talked‑about and impressive productions of the moment. It is a tremendous compliment to our cast and crew, and to director Mina Salehpour, that our production is part of this selection.
The production premiered on 16 November 2025 and will return to ITA from 18 March to 4 April 2027.
The jury about Prophet Song
“Prophet Song confronts the audience with a painfully urgent question: what if a far‑right extremist power were to take over a Western democracy? In his Booker Prize‑winning novel, Paul Lynch depicts a parallel Ireland transformed into a totalitarian state marked by repression, chaos and a devastating civil war. For ITA, director Mina Salehpour has created a gripping and harrowing stage adaptation in which fear and despair tear lives apart.
At the centre is Eilish, who struggles to hold her family together amid the turmoil, yet proves no match for the brutality of the fascist regime. Janni Goslinga plays her with restraint, tension, frustration, and a deep sense of empathy.
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Fifty extras form a backdrop of wary, rebellious and threatening citizens, adding to the production’s oppressive atmosphere. Mark Van Denesse’s striking lighting design shrouds much of the stage in darkness, echoing the growing sense of gloom that envelopes the characters’ lives.
Prophet Song may appear to depict a dystopia, but Salehpour in fact brings to life the reality of many people currently living under oppression. Perhaps it also offers a glimpse of the future of countries like ours, where far‑right extremism is gaining ground.”
We congratulate all companies whose productions have been selected for the Nederlands Theater Festival.
The Nederlands Theater Festival takes place from 3 to 13 September, traditionally closing on 13 September with the Gala van het Nederlands Theater at Internationaal Theater Amsterdam.