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The Filiaal theatre company is adapting Tjibbe Veldkamp’s award-winning children’s book for the stage
Imagine you haven’t been born yet, but you’re allowed to spend a little time in the world as a foretaste of your life. That’s what happens to Adem. In a fictional Eastern European city rife with corruption and danger, he is given a special mission as an eleven-year-old boy: he must bring his future parents together. Because Adem wants a real life.
A adventurous A poetic performance for everyone aged 9 to 109, about a boy who sets out to explore the world full of zest for life, but discovers along the way that the world isn’t always that easy.
Imagine you haven’t been born yet, but you’re allowed to spend a little time in the world as a foretaste of your life. That’s what happens to Adem. In a fictional Eastern European city rife with corruption and danger, he is given a special mission as an eleven-year-old boy: he must bring his future parents together. Because Adem wants a real life.
A adventurous A poetic performance for everyone aged 9 to 109, about a boy who sets out to explore the world full of zest for life, but discovers along the way that the world isn’t always that easy.
The premiere will take place on 8 October 2026 at 7.00 pm at Podium Hoge Woerd in Utrecht, and the production will tour from 2 October to 3 January 2027.
An adventurous, imaginative show
Adem loves the world. He can’t wait to start his life, but before that happens, he’ll have to find a way to bring his parents back together.
That is proving to be no easy task, Breaths His mother is a detective, and his father is a wanted rebel who fights corruption in the city under the alias ‘the Blue Jester’. Their worlds are worlds apart, and AHe has only a limited amount of time; until the last grain has fallen from his hourglass.
'As creators, we recognise that that it can be difficult to keep faith in a world that can sometimes be so unjust and complicated its. Three members of our team have roots in Hungary, where corruption and social tensions are a daily reality.' says Monique Corvers, artistic director of Het Filiaal theatre company.. ‘This book has sparked our imagination. We have an awful lot of fun We’ve got started on the story, and we hope our enthusiasm is contagious and inspires you to pick up a children’s book yourself.'
Visual and musical form and language
The set consists of beautiful miniatures by Jasper van Roden, and video projections from the young filmmaker Fé Baan. Gábor Tarján composed music especially for the performance, which is played on the cello, qanun and riq by Bence Huszar and Khalil Khoury. The text was edited by the young theatrewriter Sem from the Count and Monique Corvers, who is also directing the production. The play is performed by Andrea Vass and Barend van Daal.
The book The boy who loved the world by Tjibbe Veldkamp was awarded the Nienke van Hichtum Prize (2023), the Woutertje Pieterse Prize, the Zilveren Griffel and the title of Best Groningen Book – fiction (2024).
Beautiful Books Season 2026–2027
The boy who loved the world is part of the ‘Mooie Boeken’ season 2026–2027 organised by Het Filiaal theatre makers. During this season, the company will perform three different productions, based on five award-winning children’s and young adult books.
Alongside the performances, Het Filiaal is launching the campaign Read a book, give a book. Visitors can buy a children’s book and make a donation, which will be used to purchase a book for a school library. In this way, the organisation aims to give more children access to mooie bbooks.
Alongside the performances, Het Filiaal is launching the campaign Read a book, give a book. Visitors can buy a children’s book and make a donation, which will be used to purchase a book for a school library. In this way, the organisation aims to give more children access to mooie bbooks.
The boy who loved the world
Premiere: 8 October 2026, Podium Hoge Woerd, Utrecht
Playing period: 2 October 2026 to 3 January 2027
Age: 9 to 109 years – the show will also be performed 36 times for school groups.
Premiere: 8 October 2026, Podium Hoge Woerd, Utrecht
Playing period: 2 October 2026 to 3 January 2027
Age: 9 to 109 years – the show will also be performed 36 times for school groups.
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