The End of Eddy
Édouard Louis took the world by storm with his successful autobiographical novel The End of Eddy. Without much frills, the novel tells the life story of a homosexual boy growing up in a homophobic environment.
Run time 95 minutes
Genre Theatre
Language Dutch
Surtitles English, Thu, August 28
The End of Eddy
In a small village in the north of France, the gentle and sensitive Eddy grows up in a mundane, vulgar, and merciless working-class environment. We follow him during his many attempts at being a 'normal boy'. To his detriment, he is nothing like the children around him. His posture, his manner of speaking and even his walk earn him as much humiliation from his classmates as from his alcoholic father and bossy mother. Even before he has the slightest inkling of desire, many people assume he is gay. By telling his story, Eddy reveals how stifling this environment is. Will he be able to break free?
In 2020, director Eline Arbo made her own theatrical and musical adaptation of this novel for Toneelschuur Producties. She was awarded the VSCD directing award for this theatrical hit and the performance was selected for the Dutch Theatre Festival. The original cast from 2020 was nominated for the Louis d'Or, which at the time was the theatre award for best male lead.
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Four young actors played all the characters and also shared the lead role. It was the first time that multiple actors were nominated as one for one part. “As if it were a compelling choreography: text, music and stage design are constantly interacting with each other, resulting in a colourful and unpredictable evening of theatre,” the jury rapport stated.
“In the overwhelming The End of Eddy, director Eline Arbo portrays how several residents of a small working-class village attempt to escape their own limited frames of mind – to no avail. The result is thrilling, heartbreaking and sincere theatre, which still resonates unabated months later.” – De Theaterjury
Eline Arbo about the play
“The first time I read The End of Eddy, I was blown away by the raw energy, the recognisable teen angst, the clever social criticism, the sense of injustice, and the protagonist's battle to claim a place in the world. The story is deeply personal, yet at the same time universal. We get a glimpse into the life of a boy trying to grow up in a village and in a family in which there is no room for anyone who is different. Like a chameleon, he tries to fit in. But in the end, he makes a break from his past and creates a life in which he is allowed to be himself. I am still proud of the stage adaptation I made of this book in 2020. Sadly, we still live in the same world today as we did then, in which people are discriminated against because of their sexual orientation. That is why I think it is important to keep telling this story. Thanks to ITA's repertoire system, the performance can continue to exist, as requested by many.”
REVIEWS
The Guardian
“[…] the play embodies a strong plea for the transforming power of theatre and its empathetic leaps of imagination.”
de Volkskrant
“The play directed by Eline Arbo is at its deepest core an ode to theatre.”
Trouw
“A beautiful drama about being different in a brutish environment.”
NRC
“One of the best plays of this season.”
Theaterkrant (Critic's Choice)
“Highlight of this theatrical season.”
Het Parool
“The theatrical adaptation of Édouard Louis' hit book is stellar.”
DIGITAL BROCHURE
Read more about the story, music and creative team of The End of Eddy in our digital programme brochure.
Eline Arbo is Artistic Director at ITA since September 2023. From 2022 she was already linked to ITA as Associate Artistic Director. From January 2023, Arbo was appointed Ibsen Artist in Residence, an initiative of the Philip Loubser Foundation, which gives directors with an international ambition the opportunity to develop themselves artistically.
In season 24|25, she will create Giovanni's Room (James Baldwin) and The Wall (Marlen Haushofer); re-make The End of Eddy (Édouard Louis) and The Years (Annie Ernaux), which she previously directed elsewhere; and her stagings of The Laws (Connie Palmen), Prima Facie (Suzie Miller), Penthesilea (Heinrich von Kleist) and The Hours (Michael Cunningham) will be reprised.
Author
Édouard Louis
Young writer and sociologist Édouard Louis (1992) was born Eddy Bellegueule. Ever since his debut came out, he has been considered one of the most celebrated writers of his generation, and an important voice in the political debate in France. His themes are social and economic inequality, family, and sexuality. His passionate and socially engaged work has been embraced by the international theatre world: his books have been adapted for theatre almost 40 times worldwide. Ivo Van Hove has previously staged Who Killed My Father and A Woman’s Battles and Transformations at ITA.
“All my writing is political – and all my life is, too.” – Édouard Louis in The Guardian
Credits
by Édouard Louis
direction Eline Arbo
adaptation Eline Arbo and Thomas Lamers
dramatugy Thomas Lamers
sound design Thijs van Vuure
scenography Juul Dekker
lightning design Varja Klosse
costume design Rebekka Wörmann
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original producer Toneelschuur Producties
private producer Mechteld Daniels and Joris Kaak
