Russian flowers and Beatrix @HollandFestival

Holland Festival

Gorgeous dresses, big sunglasses and high heels. It is clear that the performance by the famous Moscow theatre company Theatre of Nations also attracted a large Russian audience. Men in suits occasionally talking to their sleeves seem to testify to Russian billionaires present. But nothing could be further from the truth when suddenly Princess Beatrix steps into the auditorium with her entourage. 

It is to be hoped that she also read the synopsis of the story beforehand because the content of Circo Ambulante, we can be brief, is complicated. At times even incomprehensible. And that frustrates. It is good to know that the play is set on a deserted island where a Great Leader rules and the only work left for the poor islanders is in the bull ball factory. For many set changes combined with Dutch translations above and beside the stage distract from the play, leaving not so much the story as mainly the atmosphere of the play.

The atmosphere of a grim society dominated by a dictator. "Whether that is a communist regime, an African dictator or President Putin does not matter," actor Richard Bondarev tells us after the performance. "The Don Quixote that protagonist Maria turns into is really someone who fights windmills, because the regime may change, but the oppression remains." As such, the performance is not really cheerful.

Yet sitting next to me is a Russian-Dutch visitor who, when applauded with excitement, could barely stay seated. The whole performance she had been sitting with a bunch of yellow spring sunflowers on her lap. According to Russian custom, she wants to give them to Russia's Elizabeth Taylor, the very famous actress Liya Akhedzhakova. In the Netherlands, we might give a lauded actress a standing ovation or have the theatre give a flower at the end, in Russia they are handed over personally.

So during the long applause for this 75-year-old celebrity, my neighbour along with other ladies (young and old, but all women) rushed forward to climb onto the stage and offer the bunch of yellow flowers. That Beatrix entered the hall was cause for pulling out the phone to take a picture, for this dash towards the stage was only one word: "exciting."