21-05-2026

F*CK LOLITA and Byzantium part of the official jury selection for the Dutch Theatre Festival

Every year, the Dutch Theatre Jury selects the performances from the previous season that it considers to be the most impressive. We are absolutely delighted to announce that this year, not one but two (!) of our company’s productions have been selected. Both F*CK LOLITA and Byzantium (in coproduction with Abattoir Fermé) are part of the official jury selection for the 2026 Dutch Theatre Festival. Hurray!

"Het Zuidelijk Toneel and the Belgian company Abattoir Fermé bring grotesque horror to the main stage with *Byzantium*. The result is uncompromising and wildly witty theatre that repeatedly pushes the boundaries. With incredible ensemble work and hallucinatory imagery, this pitch-black makeover of a restaurant into a takeaway crematorium is a real treat.

In this horror comedy, the closure of Byzantium serves as a metaphor for a collapsing society, where extreme market-driven thinking skilfully reduces every human relationship to a transaction. Glimmers of humanity shine like beacons of light in an otherwise rancid world, such as when dishwasher John makes his beloved part of his dream to climb the ladder. Beyond that, Byzantium is a crumbling ruin, a succession of post-apocalyptic scenes that take sardonic pleasure in the decline of humanity.

The brilliant performance of the ensemble cast brings this theatre to life. Far removed from the realism that dominates the main stage, Byzantium fully embraces alienation and uncanny absurdism. The joy of acting radiates from the stage. Byzantium is full of hilarious scenes, one of the highlights being an absolute nightmare of a blind date, which is as sordid as it is apt.

The overwhelming universe, beautifully crafted both visually and aurally and brought to life by director Stef Lernous with a rock-solid ensemble, makes for one of the most rewarding theatre evenings of the past season."

'Vladimir Nabokov’s most famous book, *Lolita* (1955), is a monologue by an obsessive male narrator who attempts to rationalise his perverse feelings towards a twelve-year-old girl. He convinces himself that she is asking for it. In the stunning stage adaptation created by writer Annet Bremen and director Silke van Kamp for the Zuidelijk Toneel, that girl finally gets to speak for herself.

Keja Klaasje Kwestro brings her to life in a way that comes so deeply from within, from the very core of this girl, this story and these turbulent times, that she stays with you for days afterwards. She rages, rants, cries, listens and screams to be heard. Nabokov’s narrative technique has been admired for seven decades. And that is precisely why she is furious: by listening to him, we perpetuate Lolita. F*ck Lolita is about the power of the one who is given a voice. And of the one who listens.

Humbert Humbert, the narrator in the book, is present on stage, but remains silent. He is beautifully embodied as naive and docile by Joep van der Geest. Kwestro’s stunning performance and the connection this production makes with the question on everyone’s mind today explain the huge interest across the country. If we could have chosen our own narrative, who would we want to be right now?"

 

A huge congratulations to the entire cast and crew, and of course to our dear friends at Abattoir Fermé. And of course, congratulations to all the other nominees too! 👏

Curious about the other nominees? Read more on the official website of the Dutch Theatre Festival.