On Sunday 19 April 2026 Say goodbye (4+) by Maas theatre and dance premieres at the Maaspodium in Rotterdam. In this musical and physical youth performance, creator Sara Giampaolo explores what saying goodbye and being left behind feels like. With few words and lots of movement and music, Say goodbye space to big feelings for little people. The show will tour theatres and festivals in the Netherlands from April to June 2026.
JUST SAY HELLO
Whether it's preschool, a favourite pencil, a friend, a grandmother or that one familiar place: sooner or later, everyone has to say goodbye. But how do you actually do that? And what if you are the one left behind?
In Say Goodbye, three sailors make all kinds of attempts at saying goodbye and staying. They wave, disappear, pretend to go, wave some more, hug each other, sing to each other and practise staying - even when the other does not. Grief at missing out and the joy of finding each other again alternate at lightning speed.
With few words and lots of music, Say Goodbye poetically and comfortingly gives space to big feelings for small people.
FAREWELL IN MOTION
“The theme of saying goodbye does not always allow itself to be captured in words,” says Giampaolo. “That's why I translate feelings into movement, inspired by water: flowing, sometimes stormy. Everything can run high and what you have lost can come back like a wave. Greetings, waves, hugs and a kiss together form a physical language that makes goodbyes tangible.”
Dance tells in Say goodbye what words sometimes cannot: that grief is allowed to be there, that missing is love looking for a way, that away is not always really away - and that moving helps everything flow again.
MAKERS
Direction & concept: Sara Giampaolo
Actor/co-creators: Romano Haynes, Gianni Noten, Julius Schraven
Set: Robin Vogel
Costumes: Sandro Lima
Musical composition: Sergio Escoda
Choreography: Art Wutthinan Srisayam
Technology & lighting design: Dennis Stolzenberg
Dramaturgy: Merel Heering
Directing assistant: Drussilla Mputu-Mola
Production: Djoeke Westdijk, Marieke de Waal
Technical advice: Peter Raaijmakers
MESH THEATRE AND DANCE FOR YOUNG AUDIENCES
Maas makes adult performances for anyone who is or feels young. Physical, curious, cross and boisterous. Maas mixes theatre, dance, mime, visual arts and much more into tastefully surprising live experiences. Our home, the Maas stage, is firmly rooted in Rotterdam.
PLAYLIST
APRIL 2026
Sat 18 Apr 11:00 - Maaspodium, Rotterdam (try-out)
Sun 19 Apr 15:00 - Maaspodium, Rotterdam (premiere)
Sun 26 Apr 11:00 - De Rietwijker, Amsterdam
MAY 2026
Fri 1 May 14:00 - De Meervaart, Amsterdam
Sat 2 May 11:00 - Maaspodium, Rotterdam
Sun 3 May 11:00 - Maaspodium, Rotterdam
Sun 10 May 14:00 - Theater aan het Spui, The Hague
Sun 17 May 11:00 & 14:00 - Openluchttheater Caprera, Bloemendaal
Sun 24 May 11:00 - Podium Sprits, Utrecht
Mon 25 May 11:00 & 15:00 - Verkadefabriek, Den Bosch
JUNE 2026
Sat Jun 6 15:00 - Maaspodium, Rotterdam
Sun Jun 7 11:00 - Maaspodium, Rotterdam
Sat 13 Jun 13:30 - Fort Ruigenhoek (Tweetakt), Utrecht
Nederlands 
English (UK) 
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