Review: DE TOCHT. A PROMISE REDEEMED at Friso Theater Leeuwarden

The Elfstedentocht. A typical Dutch folklore event, a brutal ice skating race on natural ice of 200 kilometers, where both professional ice skaters as tour ice skaters compete. The goal, finish the race by getting 7 stamps in 7 Frisian (a province in The Netherlands) cities.

The last time the actual Elfstedentocht happened was back in 1997.  As the Elfstedentocht can only occur when there’s a very long and cold freezing winter and all the right weather conditions are there… when it happens, it’s magical.

Ice, ice baby!

That magic really spoke to the producers of this new musical. Hans Staal, Madelène van Beuzekom, Foppe van der Veen and Lisette Bokma, the producers.

In January 2014, the idea for this musical was born. A road less traveled, from first idea to the premiere on October 1st 2023, they have dared to dream big. An auditorium of 1500 people, video projections on a huge screen (Production designer Luc Peumans, Painting with Light, Video Production by Ramon Hoogerhuis), a skating ring in a circle around the audience, which also moves to delay the movements (if not moving, you can barely see the skating action, as they would have moved too fast) and talented cast and company of extras (skaters).

The ambition and scale of this project is to be applauded. Yes, it took a long time to develop this musical, but it’s all worth it.

The team has created a musical (A clever script by Allard Blom) with wonderful and theatrical layered music (Sytse Broersma & Ad Van Dijk). Director Eddy Habbema has made a story that’s equally about the Elfstedentocht as about its contestants.  We meet a group of friends, all in their thirties. They haven’t been in touch for a while but want to honor their old pact. To enter and compete during the Elfstedentocht, and in 2023 – that time has come. Annet (a brilliant Nandi van Beurden) and her husband Sjoerd (Wolter Weulink), his alienated brother Pieter (Theo Martijn Wever), the ever complaining, but with a heart-of-gold comic relief Rene (Boy Ooteman) and documentary-maker Kristien (Jolijn Henneman). They agree to ride the Elfstedentocht together, but right at the start lose track of each other.  A beautiful and heartfelt story unfolds. What is friendship? What is forgiveness? A coming-of-age story in reverse. About never giving up and the power of togetherness, and how we need to help each other in life. The race is a beautiful methaphor. 

The musical is an ingenious mix of singing, storytelling, ice skating, both racing as figure skating in several dream sequences, as Annet’s character muses about another life.

The friend group is well-casted. Supporting characters Jelmer (Thijs Meester) who is mourning is late wife Boukje (Maike Boerdam) are wonderful. The storyline of the grieving widower who wants to honor his late wife by scattering her ashes on important places on route is a clever find. They made the scenes emotional, but never melodramatic. That goes for the whole musical. Dramatically it is well-balanced and perfect. Maybe the down-to-earth Frisian roots have something to do with it. Whatever it may be, I’m all here for it.  

The whole experience, in and out of the auditorium is fully thought-out and in style. It doesn’t go unnoticed; the production really went all out and celebrated the Elfstedentocht vibe. De Tocht is a celebration of Friesland, but also a celebration of friendship, craftmanship, love and dreaming big. Look what they created. A dream come true.

It giet oan (Frisian for: Let’s start!)

Photo credits: Joris van Bennekom
Video credits: Courtesy of De Tocht BV | Royal Promotions 

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