Verdriet is het ding met veren

Theater Rotterdam / Erik Whien

Jacob Derwig and Erik Whien bring a heartbreaking book to the stage. Sadness is the thing with feathers is the internationally successful debut novel by Londoner Max Porter.

Run time 90 minutes
Genre Theater
Language Dutch

Verdriet is het ding met veren

A moving and poetic story about a father and his two sons, who are left behind after the sudden death of their wife and mother. Shortly after the loss, the three are visited by a cruel, unpredictable and caring Crow. He grabs the father, lifts him up and says: 'I'm not leaving until you don't need me anymore'.

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Director Erik Whien brings one of his personal favourites to the theatre. Jacob Derwig has adapted the raw but loving story into a penetrating performance, in which the healing process and the transition to a new reality are central. How do you deal with overwhelming grief? How do you accept that nothing is self-evident anymore?

Grief is the thing with feathers is a musical theatre performance in which the subtle, minimalist style of Erik Whien meets the glowing and moving texts from the book. Actors Jacob Derwig, Jesse Mensah and Romijn Scholten bring a grand story about parents and children, unconditional love, mourning and a crow.

REVIEWS

Annette Embrechts, De Volkskrant

'Gripping, layered and energetic performance'

Sander Janssens, NRC Handelsblad

'Grief is a poetic thought exercise about chaotic mourning'

Hanny Alkema, Trouw

'Irresistible schwung in expressive mourning process'

CREDITS

director Erik Whien
text Max Porter
translation Saskia van der Lingen
adaptation Jacob Derwig
dramaturgy Casper Vandeputte
actors Jacob Derwig, Minne Koole and Romijn Scholten-|-
design Julian Maiwald
costumes Rebekka Wörmann
music Thijs van Vuure
photography campaign image Annaleen Louwes
scene photos Sanne Peper