In The Procession, Sacha, the central character and a true artist of living, creates a mourning ritual in which he himself, fully alive despite an incurable illness, takes part. Together, we walk through gentle stillness, vibrant live music, and lyrical poetry alongside his theatre family, who share stories of grief, healing, and the resilience of life.

Sacha’s theatre family is made up of city residents with Dutch, Palestinian, Burundian, Afghan, Surinamese, Moroccan, and Turkish roots, among others. Be carried away by the hypnotic Burundian spoken chant of Joe de Bouffon, a figure somewhere between guide and clown. Encounter the bird that lovingly sings the song of unborn children. And the cat that remembers and preserves the final traces of someone you no longer are. Together, we transform the ordinary street into an alternative society, where the absurd and the vulnerable exist side by side.

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The Procession transports you to the far corners of the world, from the sands of Afghanistan outside Sina’s childhood home, to the asylum seekers’ centre in Ter Apel with Berat and his red suitcase, to Nazmiye, who in the Netherlands would welcome death as though greeting a long lost friend. The performance weaves together individual and collective stories of ritual and mourning. Tears blend with dancing and laughter. For a moment, space emerges for both stillness and celebration, for pausing, and for moving forward.

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The music is performed by Calefax, with vocals by Cappella Amsterdam. Young musicians from emergency shelter initiative Amsterdam Galaxy and youth network The Mall contribute soulful, rhythmic performances, accompanied by percussionist Wouter van der Wildt. Featuring a new composition by Ned McGowan, the music enters into dialogue with The Procession, becoming quiet, gathering momentum, and moving together to give strength to these stories.

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The Procession is an invitation to explore our relationship with death, to show that sorrow and joy can coexist, and that the weight of life becomes lighter when we carry it together, with both tears and laughter.