Director Jetse Batelaan (Theater Artemis) and dramaturg Koen Haagdorens (hetpaleis) have been working together for four productions now, but there is still no sign of it becoming routine. Jetse’s work is visual, imaginative and touches on the clumsiness and sense of wonder of the struggling human being. With theatre that is both absurd and disarmingly honest, he manages to surprise young and old. This season, Jetse and dramaturg Koen created the family production Nu is het nog rustig (8+) (A coproduction by Theater Artemis, hetpaleis and Het Zuidelijk Toneel). In the production, adults race through their lives, from high peaks to deep troughs, at a dizzying pace. But how does such a production come about? And what does a collaboration spanning four productions continue to bring about time and again?

In this ‘Meet the Creator’ episode, Jetse and Koen talk about Nu is het nog rustig (8+), their way of working together and their exploration of what can emerge on stage. Because even after four productions, the theatre remains a place where you can continue to surprise the audience, one another and yourself.

Jetse,what makes working with Koen and hetpaleis so special for you?

And  Koen, what makes Jetse the ideal director for you to work with?

Jetse: “It’s incredibly cool to work with hetpaleis. A youth theatre with its own costume and set workshop? Even on an international scale, that level of scale and professionalism is unique, especially when combined with the in-house capacity for improvisation and flexibility. What’s more, as a dramaturg, Koen also thinks like a creator/director, and that’s great.”

Koen: “Jetse is the sort of artist you can only dream of. The audience in our main auditorium is a complex lot, but also a real gift, and Jetse does things with an audience like that which you’ve never seen before.”

What makes playing with that space so special?

Jetse: “As spectators, we’ve learnt to behave impeccably. We follow the rules that come with such a large venue without complaint. It’s precisely with those conventions that I want to play. We subvert expectations and see what new possibilities that opens up. It’s amazing to make an auditorium roar thanks to the mechanical capabilities of side stages, backdrops and set changes. When all hell broke loose during the finale of our production Een leuk avondje uit, I found myself getting emotional aswell. Even though I knew exactly who was pulling which ropes.”

Koen: “For Nu is het nog rustig, things are still quiet, we’re thinking of a reverse structure and want to start with that most overwhelming part.”

From an idea or concept to a performance on stage: What are the roles, and how do you complement each other during that creative process?

Koen:  "Jetse usually comes up with a conceptual idea. I respond to that and try to think from the audience’s perspective. Then we gradually start to refine the content. Thanks to the possibilities offered by the main auditorium, we can add a second, third or fourth layer to it.”

Jetse: “I always find it absolutely terrifying when we start rehearsals, because at that point there’s no script or text yet. But by that stage, Koen has already asked me so many good questions that I don’t have to start from scratch. Our regular team of assistant directors, costume, set, sound and lighting designers also helps me get my bearings.”

Koen: “I have the advantage of having my hands free. Literally. Whilst everyone else is performing, tinkering with the sound or sewing a costume, Jetse has to keep the whole group together. I can come and watch the rehearsals with a fresh pair of eyes, which sometimes proves very useful.”

What image or idea inspired the production?

Jetse: “A whirlwind on stage, in which the audience, the actors and the characters are constantly playing catch-up.”

Koen: The idea of ‘simultaneity’ is very important in this context. In the rat race of life, so many things are happening at the same time. What do you focus on then? And aren’t we focusing too much on the wrong things amidst that constant flow of information?”

Jetse: Just as in real life, children are spectators to that adult squabbling. They can still look at it with an outsider’s perspective.”

How do you look at the world of children and the real world they are growing up in, and how is that reflected in your performances?

Jetse: "I find it interesting to encourage children to tap into their strength and their rebellious spirit. We do dare to tease the children a bit, and they tease us back. That takes courage on both sides.”

Koen: "Jetse creates a world free of ego on stage. And if there is any ego at all, he views it with great compassion. That sets something in motion in children’s minds. What would happen if we were to let go of that ego in society too? That is a reassuring view of humanity. You don’t have to be the centre of the world.”

Jetse: “It’s liberating not to have to become a superhero (laughs). By patronising children, you make them the centre of everything. But the reality they’re growing up into isn’t always predictable, safe and warm. For me, theatre is the ideal place for children to practise dealing with chaos, unpredictability and unpleasantness.  I have every confidence that they can cope with that.”

What do you hope to evoke in the audience?

Jetse: “Something unexpected? What moved me, for example, was how, after our production *The End of the Beginning of the End*, whole groups of children walked out of the theatre backwards, how actors even saw children walking backwards through the city kilometres away. That’s truly priceless. Or when the whole audience whispers along with projected lines, or when eighty-year-old grandparents duck under their seats because we ask them to. That’s almost a form of mass hypnosis.”

Final question: The title 'Nu is het nog rustig’ (It’s still quiet at the moment) almost feels like a warning. What’s the thinking behind it?

Jetse: “Our titles always create expectations. For ourselves, too: they’re often the only thing we have to go on before we start a performance. So if there’s a sense of tension there, I like that straight away. There is indeed something ominous about it: ‘enjoy the peace and quiet whilst you still can, because things will be different soon enough’.”

Koen: And you can also think about it from a social perspective: what else lies ahead for us?

Thank you, Jetse and Koen, for this conversation about Nu is het nog rustig (8+)

Nu is het nog rustig (8+) can be seen in theatres across the Netherlands until Sunday 3 January 2027