Renowned Dutch Director Johan Doesburg Dies at 69

Theatre director Johan Doesburg has passed away at the age of 69, as announced by his family in an obituary in NRC. According to Theaterkrant, Doesburg opted for euthanasia.

The obituary references William Shakespeare’s play Hamlet with the phrase “Readiness is all,” indicating Hamlet’s acceptance of death. Doesburg began his role as director at the National Theatre in The Hague in 1993 and became its artistic leader a year later, remaining with the company until 2015.

He directed numerous plays, including classics like Hamlet and Medea, as well as works by modern writers such as Sarah Kane, Rainer Werner Fassbinder, and Enda Walsh. He was successful with adaptations of contemporary books like Elementary Particles (2005) by Michel Houellebecq, Tirza (2010) by Arnon Grunberg, The Prey (2012) by Jeroen Smit about ABN Amro, and The Stone Bridal Bed (2014) by Harry Mulisch.

After this period, Doesburg worked as a freelance director, with projects such as Behind the House inspired by Anne Frank’s diary and a stage adaptation of Astrid Holleeder’s book Judas. His final project was Poison (2022).

Many actors won prestigious theatre awards for their performances under his direction, including Gijs Scholten van Aschat, Victor Löw, Ariane Schluter, and Kees Hulst.

Source: NOS

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