ITA Ensemble

My Heavenly Favourite

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My Heavenly Favourite

ITA Ensemble / Ivo van Hove

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My Heavenly Favourite
ITA Ensemble / Ivo van Hove

Lucas Rijneveld received the prestigious International Booker Prize for the English edition of his debut De avond is ongemak. The translation rights of his widely acclaimed second novel Mijn lieve gunsteling have so far been sold to fourteen countries. Ivo van Hove is the first director to adapt this heartbreaking and at the same time terrifying novel for the stage.

Location La Villette, Paris
Run time 140 minutes
Genre Theater
Language Dutch

Please note this performance is about an adult who is sexually attracted to a minor and contains sexual violence. The performance uses strong lighting effects including stroboscope and the set uses a large amount of straw.

My Heavenly Favourite


A novel that the author himself thought no one would ever want to read, but which became a bestseller in a short time. A 49-year-old vet develops a forbidden love for a farmer's underage daughter during a sweltering summer.
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A love that quickly becomes an obsession. A story with moving but also intense scenes in which the adult man and the 14-year-old girl grow closer and closer until the border is crossed.

Lucas Rijneveld and Ivo van Hove © Jan Versweyveld

About My Heavenly Favourite

'I am very honoured that the grand master of the stage, Ivo van Hove, is performing Mijn lieve gunsteling on the stage. I have every confidence that it will be a wonderful adaptation. The cow in the spotlight! And the love, of course, the love.' - Lucas Rijneveld

'Lucas Rijneveld treads the slippery slope of a forbidden relationship between an adult man and an underage girl in an idiosyncratic, beautifully written and important book. A rollercoaster of emotions: ecstasy, deep unhappiness, loneliness, guilt, jealousy, craving, nightmares and sex.' - Ivo van Hove

CAST

Language NP Language no problem Eefje Paddenburg Eefje Paddenburg
Language NP Language no problem Hans Kesting Hans Kesting
Language NP Language no problem Katelijne Damen Katelijne Damen
Language NP Language no problem Bart Slegers Bart Slegers
Language NP Language no problem Achraf Koutet Achraf Koutet
Camillia / Mother Kurt
Father Meisje / Freud / Hitler
Brother Meisje / Son Kurt

IN THE PRESS

Trouw

'My Heavenly Favourite is an impressive performance that resonates.'

De Volkskrant

'My Heavenly Favourite on stage, there's no way to escape it.'

My Heavenly Favourite © Jan Versweyveld

DIGITAL BROCHURE

Read more about the production's author, direction, music, scenography and costumes in our digital brochure.

READ THE BROCHURE

SEXUAL ASSAULT CENTRE

If you feel the need to talk after the performance, you can always contact the Sexual Assault Center (Centrum Seksueel Geweld). You can call (0800-0188) or chat completely anonymously.

MORE INFO
My Heavenly Favourite © Jan Versweyveld
Ivo van Hove
Director
Ivo van Hove

Ivo van Hove was director of Internationaal Theater Amsterdam from 2001 till 2023.

In season 23|24, his directing of The Damned, My Heavenly Favourite and Who Killed My Father will be reprised.

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CREDITS


based on the book by Lucas Rijneveld
direction and adaptation Ivo van Hove
accompaniment adaptation and dramaturgical advice Bart Van den Eynde
scenography and lighting design Jan Versweyveld
costumes An D'Huys
song lyrics Marieke Lucas Rijneveld
composition songs Wende Snijders and Koen van der Wardt
music and sound design George Dhauw
video design Christopher Ash

cast Hans Kesting, Eefje Paddenburg, Katelijne Damen, Bart Slegers, Achraf Koutet
musician Roos van Tuil, Tosca van der Waals
cows Dora and Trix

private producer Marcelle and Joost Kuiper, Hans Peter Sauerwein
supported by Ammodo
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assistant director Maria Luttikhuis, Agnese Kumpina (intern)
assistant dramaturgy Fleur Zick (intern)
assistant scenography Bart van Merode, Jenn Yuqing Cao (intern)
assistant music David Knap
head of technical staff Reyer Meeter
head artistic office Loesje Riethof
head of production Michiel van Schijndel
head of dramaturgy Johan Reyniers
head of design Roel Van Berckelaer
first productionleader Edith den Hamer
productionleader Marleen Koens
assistant production Eva Sol
scenographical technical producer Ramon Huijbrechts
technical production Rick Liesveld
technical planner Joris Reijmer
structural calculation Pieter Pollemans
technical staff Daan van Oene (stage manager), Emile Bleeker, Yannick Bruine de Bruin, Danne Hekman, Daan Kapteijn, Zinzi Kemper, Berend van Leer (intern), David Logger, Paul Meijer, Wouter Pieters, Dennis van Scheppingen, Marleen Wind
costume department Wim van Vliet (head), Farida Bouhbouh, Leanne Vandenbussche
dresser Carlijn Veurink
hair and make-up Mirjam Venema
casting advice Hans Kemna
intimacy coordinator Zarah Bracht
casting and advice cows Catvertise, Sabine van der Helm
training and guidance cows Cattle Training, Chantal van den Broek
photography Jan Versweyveld, Dim Balsem, Fabian Calis
graphic design Serena Kloet, Sara Fortuin
publicity Iris Istha

This performance is supported by

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