Beneden de rivieren

Beneden de Rivieren had its premiere in 2002 with great success at Het Toneel Speelt with Hans Croiset as the father and Ger Thijs as his son. Hans Croiset again plays the father together with his own son: Julien Croiset. They travel selflessly between the Dutch theatres with this performance. They are donating all income from ticket sales to the theatres to give them a helping hand in these difficult times.

The stage is the father's garden in South Limburg. A month ago he passed away unexpectedly. Son Paulie has crossed the great rivers down from the North to scatter father's ashes in his garden. He is about to scatter them when his father suddenly walks into the garden. That must be a ghost! “What are you doing there?”, he asks. “I'm scattering your ashes.” “Am I dead then?” the father asks in alarm. The conversation that follows is a merciless settlement back and forth; or perhaps also an attempt at reconciliation?

Beneden de Rivieren is a rich literary piece with playful references to the spirit of Hamlet's father and Chekov's squandered Cherry Orchard. It is also a poetic piece, with a lot of tragedy - which, however, is lightly presented with tongue-in-cheek humour. You don't expect that, those bursts of laughter on the border of life and death. Terrifying and magical at the same time!

Ger Thijs: “Family suffering is the core of all dramas. Just look at Strindberg or O'Neill. Father, mother, children: these are primal relationships. I love that. Simple but pure, and close to yourself. Two men and an urn, actors and things, that's what the stage is all about.”