The ninth edition of Zeeland Nazomerfestival takes place from August 25th till September 9th. With its site specific theatre and dance productions made for special outdoor sites in the Zeeland landscape, the festival offers a unique experience. The festival centre, the historical Abbey in the heart of old Middelburg, is meeting point for both audience and artists.
This year’s edition opens with ‘The Tempest’ by William Shakespeare, performed in a wide field of the Wilhelminapolder, the largest farm in the Netherlands. ‘The Tempest’ is one of Shakespeare’s most famous plays and is considered his artistic testament. Niek Kortekaas is both director and set designer of this production that promises to be spectacular in its imagery.
‘Under Milkwood’ by Dylan Thomas, directed by Koen De Sutter, will play on the vast banks of the Oosterschelde river on the island of Schouwen-Duiveland. Flemish famous actor and master storyteller Jan Decleir performs this poetic masterpiece in the classic translation of Hugo Claus.
A dune near Westkapelle is the setting for ‘Zittend Meisje’, a new play about Dutch famous painter Charley Toorop, written by Nirav Christophe and commissioned by Zeelandia, the theatre production house that organises the festival.
A windmill park in Zeeuws-Vlaanderen is the setting for ‘Wiek’, a compelling dance production by the talented young Dutch choreographer Boukje Schweigman.
From Friday the 28th of August onwards, the festival heart in the historical setting of the Middelburg Abbey, offers a great variety of events. Theatre, dance, literature, plastic arts and lots of concerts make the Abbey and its beautiful inner court the place to be. The Dutch press considers the Abbey with its Mediterranean atmosphere ‘the nicest open air theatre in the Netherlands’.
Organisation
Theaterproductiehuis Zeelandia offers (young) professional theatre makers from the Netherlands and Flanders opportunities to produce new work in Zeeland. Yearly, Zeelandia produces six productions in different genres (theatre, music theatre, dance, opera). Two productions go on tour in the Netherlands and Flanders. Four site specific productions are produced for the annual Zeeland Nazomerfestival, that is organised by Zeelandia.
Zeeland Nazomerfestival is a well known event of national importance and exists since 2001. Specific sites, characteristic for the Zeeland landscape, inspire artists and offer unique settings for the festival productions. The festival heart in the historical setting of the Middelburg Abbey, offers a great variety of cultural events in different genres (theatre, dance, literature, plastic arts and lots of concerts). The annual Zeeland Nazomerfestival starts every last Tuesday of August and lasts for twelve days. It attracts some 30.000 spectators per year.
Zeelandia stimulates close collaboration between performing artists from both Flanders and the Netherlands. Due to the geographic position of Zeeland, its historical bond with neighbouring Flanders and its language idiom, this Province in the South West of the Netherlands offers ideal conditions for artistic collaboration between these two countries. Since 2009, Zeelandia has been recognised by the Dutch government as a production house of national importance within the basic arts infrastructure of the Netherlands.
