HARLEKINO
A true story
that you don't have to believe.
EXPECTED IN AUTUMN 2025
Dario & Misja Photography
Troupe Courage brings the impressive story of Katrien van Beurden to the stage.
Katrien travelled the world with a bag full of masks. She founded Troupe Courage, with players from all over the world. As one of the few women in history, she took the Commedia dell' Arte out of its dusty context and turned it into universal and alive theatre.
In Harlekino, she takes you on a kaleidoscopic journey full of raw emotions, comic absurdity and enchanting stories. Central is the famous character Harlekino, the iconic underdog, with his tireless struggle to always keep playing.
Katrine travelled from Iran to India, from America to Palestine. Hiding with the Argentine mafia, riding on the back of a moped in Jamestown, hanging out with the youth of Jenin at the famous hummus tent and working with the poverty-stricken cowboys of Montana, she met the Harlekinos of today.
Until her journey came to an abrupt halt in 2020: she has cancer. In the MRI, listening to the rhythmic beeping, she wonders: How do I do it? Play with death?
There, a new journey begins, this time back to her eight-year-old self. We see Kaatje, who - straight through absurd events, through damage and disgrace - has to develop a survival strategy. We meet her singing loudly by her late brother's coffin, which she passionately stuffs with toys.
Harlekino takes you on an unusual life journey. A true story you don't have to believe. Full of bizarre encounters, in search of hope. A call to keep playing - especially now, more than ever.
‘Her theatre celebrates human resilience and reminds us never to lose heart.’
MAYOR FEMKE HALSEMA
‘I have been following Katrien for quite some time now, and if there is one woman, one project that opens my heart and makes me sing rock hard it is this one. I am grateful that she is finally going to tell her story.’
WENDE SNIJDERS - SINGER
credits
Performer/writer: Katrien van Beurden
Stage direction: Titus Tiel Groenestege
Guidance: Thomas van Ouwerkerk, Alaa Shehada, Sacha Muller
Masks: Den Durand
Music: Remy van Kesteren, Bernard van Beurden Dramaturgy: Maarten Bos
Publicity photo: Dario & Misja Photography
Business direction: Monique Bos
Dario & Misja Photography
“Van Beurden created a new Commedia that transcend time, space, and culture. A theatre where we can laugh and cry about how we try to survive in the world today.”
JUDITH CHAFFEE- DIRECTOR BOSTON UNIVERSITY THEATRE
‘I have been around in the theatre world for more than 40 years, have made a lot, yet Katrien van Beurden recently managed to surprise me enormously. Because while we all looked in a different direction here in the Netherlands, she developed a stunning, disarming, hilarious, confrontational and primordial theatre language with her masks under our noses that is unique and transgressive in every way.
TITUS TIEL GROENESTEGE – DIRECTOR
ABOUT KATRIEN VAN BEURDEN
Katrien van Beurden is founder and artistic director of the international theatre company Troupe Courage. In May 2023, Katrien van Beurden was appointed Knight of the Order of Orange-Nassau - a recognition of her boundless commitment to making theatre current and indispensable. This honour not only marks her career, but also reflects her tireless search for the essence of theatre and its transformative power. Di Trevis of the Royal Shakespeare Company calls her work ‘deadly serious and at the same time primal.’ Theaterkrant reviewer Kester Freriks wrote: ‘Important and innovative theatre. Van Beurden proves herself the heir to Peter Brook.’ Boston-based Judith Chaffee added: ‘She developed an entirely new Commedia that transcends time, space and culture.’
As an actress, she starred in films such as Tom Eagle, The Resurrection of a Bastard, and Kidnep, and had television roles in Summer Without Mum, Christmas with the Coopers, and Disaster Flight. Next season, she will play in the series Buza and the lead role in Roombeek by Lourens Blok.
