Black Joy
Four Dutch women from different backgrounds and stages of life share one powerful force: Black Joy. With humor, sharp insight, and vulnerability, they tell their unfiltered, relatable stories. Together, they embody a new voice in Dutch theatre, showing Black Joy in all its forms and colors. In doing so, they create their own community where diversity and connection go hand in hand.
Run time tba
Genre Theatre
Language Dutch
Black Joy
On stage a space emerges where personal stories meet music, dance and humor. Pride is celebrated and resilience becomes tangible. Their message is clear: our joy is our protest.
Black Joy is a performance for anyone curious about stories you do not hear every day. Four Black Dutch women share their experiences through a mix of music, storytelling and dance from awkward questions and painful confrontations to unforgettable moments of joy. They speak openly about what Black Joy means to them.
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Theater Oostpool together with Dawn Collective presents an infectious show that seeks connection featuring a soundtrack of Motown, soul, gospel and R and B. A performance that moves, connects and cannot be missed.
About Priscilla Vaudelle
“For me, Black Joy is a movement. It is an action. It is doing something, despite everything. There is no single answer to the meaning of Black Joy. For me, it is the life of my love, my happiness, my pleasure. It is my protest that I choose to show the world that I won’t give up.”
Theatre maker Priscilla Vaudelle, born in 1982, graduated in 2013 from the Theatre Teacher program at the Academy of Theatre and Dance and founded the multidisciplinary storytelling collective LostProject during her studies. Her work gives visibility to stories and communities that are often overlooked. Using fast-paced montages, music, spoken word, rap and dance, she creates powerful, contemporary performances exploring themes such as identity, sexuality, social pressure and upbringing, resonating strongly with a diverse young audience. At Frascati Producties she created works including BIMS part 1, SIXTH and OSSO, and at MusicalMakers she worked on BIMS the showcase. With LostProject she realized productions including AKWARD, BRA|SA, Daddy Lost Me, City Lost Me, Man Down and TWIY the world is yours. For Theater Oostpool she created the touring performance Geldezels (14 plus) in the 2023–2024 season.
Credits
concept and direction Priscilla Vaudelle
performance and text Daphne Masé, Samantha Cherish Wielkens, Miracle van de Ruit, Imanuelle Grives
dramaturgy Madelon Kooijman
artistic advice Daria Bukvić, Dawn Collective
sound design Sharon Harman
scenography Koen Steger
lighting design Varja Klosse
costume design Esmeralda Tan
hair and makeup design Yara Forster
choreography Joanne Purperhart
head of production Emma Wijbenga
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production management Ilze Versloot
head of costume atelier Femke van Neerven
technical preparation Denson Batteké
technical team Hergen Verheul, Harm Wellink
interaction & inclusion Lisanne Kooij-Djababoe, Sara Bouman, Lina Bravo Rebolledo
marketing Daniel Jaspers, Femke Krijntjes, Luca Renting, Bas Grömmel
stage production Nanne Walkate
stage dramaturgy Marit Koops
Scene photography Lowiegraphy
Black Joy is a co-production of Theater Oostpool & Dawn Collective and made possible with support from het Cultuurfonds.
