Tryater is converting car garages

This week, the theatre company Tryater began setting up for a performance at a car repair workshop in Heerenveen Fierder nei it Noarden, which opens on Friday 9 October. On the evening of Friday 25 September, the crew moved from their rehearsals at the theatre in Leeuwarden to Haaima’s garage, where the run kicks off before moving on to Drachten and Leeuwarden.

Theatre with ‘Rûnom’

During the day, the garages in Heerenveen, Drachten and Leeuwarden operate as normal. Every day, at the end of the afternoon, the mechanics clear their workshops so that Tryater can quickly set up its set, seating and technical equipment for the evening performances. On various dates, in addition to the performance, there will also be a supporting programme in, for example, the showroom, as part of Tryater Rûnom. The premiere on Friday 9 October is fully booked; the remaining dates in Heerenveen are almost fully booked, whilst the other venues are also proving very popular.

Dreamy in a raw setting

Fierder nei it Noarden It’s no coincidence that the story is set in a car garage: the main character, Gabe, ends up there after his car breaks down and has to spend the night there, just as happened to him twenty years earlier with his wayward mother. As an adult, he looks back on that event and has the conversation with his mother, Sunny, that was previously impossible. Meanwhile, the audience, together with these characters, dives from the present into the past and from reality into fantasy: a sometimes dreamlike and surreal performance set against the raw backdrop of a workshop.

Tim Helderman and Tamara Schoppert play the lead roles, supported by musician Mats Voshol, whose performance lends the production a musical depth whilst also portraying an additional character who is important to Gabe. The play, written by Herman van de Wijdeven, is directed by Loek de Bakker, who previously directed the successful school production for Tryater Loft made, again with Helderman in a leading role.

End with Drift

With *Fierder nei it Noarden*, the new theatre season for Tryater is well and truly underway. Featuring, amongst other things, a revival of *Loft* and a new run of the equally well-received *Anwar and the Wolf*, this season concludes at an intriguing venue in the Frisian capital with the large-scale site-specific production *Drift*, directed by Eva Meijering. Ticket sales for this production, featuring Joke Tjalsma in a gripping leading role, will begin on 1 December. Further information about the 2026–2027 season can be found on the Tryater website.