Dutch landmark production Soldier Of Orange – The Musical to come to the UK
Producer secures UK location to build innovative theatre for Autumn 2020
The audience is immersed into the action through a revolutionary ‘SceneAround’ 360-degree rotating set design system
After thorough research in the UK, NEW Productions, the producer of Soldier of Orange – The Musical, the acclaimed historical Dutch theatre experience staged in a revolutionary 360-degree ‘surround set’ – has found an ideal location in London’s Royal Docks, opposite London’s City Airport. Subject to planning permission, the producer expects to start building their innovative new theatre by the end of 2019, with the aim of opening a UK-version of Soldier of Orange – The Musical in the second half of 2020:soldieroforange.com
The production has been seen by over 2.8 million people in Holland, has broken all Dutch theatre records and celebrated eight years of sold-out shows in October last year. Soldier of Orange – The Musical is based on the autobiography of Erik Hazelhoff Roelfzema (born on this day, 3 April 1917), a renowned Dutch resistance fighter and British RAF war pilot, who chronicled his remarkable WWII experiences. His book was also adapted for a Dutch international hit film in 1977 directed by Paul Verhoeven (Basic Instinct, RoboCop, Total Recall, Elle), which was nominated for a Golden Globe and starred Rutger Hauer in the title role.
Soldier of Orange’s pioneering use of ‘SceneAround’ staging – a revolutionary theatre technology especially engineered for this production and to be used in the UK for the first time – pulls the audience into the story delivering a unique theatrical experience. The UK production will be directed by renowned Dutch director Theu Boermans. The book is written by Edwin de Vries, with music and lyrics written by Americans Tom Harriman and Pamela Phillips Oland. This first English production is adapted for the British stage by Jeremy Brock.
Photo by Joris van Bennekom
In the Netherlands, the production opened to great acclaim in October 2010. Set in a converted airplane hangar at a former military air base just half an hour outside of Amsterdam, the audience finds itself in a traditional raked 1,100 seat auditorium. As the story unfolds, the entire seating platform rotates along a 360-degree panoramic set, by turns revealing an actual 150-foot-wide coastline with sea, sand and rainstorms, student dorms, interrogation cells, a palace and an outdoor scene with a real DC3 Dakota Airplane.
Soldier of Orange – The Musical is produced in the Netherlands by NEW Productions and was co-produced by Robin de Levita. Producer Fred Boot of NEW Productions commented: “With the Dutch production playing throughout 2019, we have explored new markets for this chapter of WWII history for the past 3 years. London was the location of our Queen in exile during the war. The UK plays a significant role in our history and this WWII story. Therefore, the UK has always had our priority and we are very pleased with this development for such a relevant location. The production and script are slightly adapted for an international audience, to ensure that it reflects the show as it has been embraced in Holland. We are looking forward to sharing this universal story of a group of friends, forced by war to make life-changing choices. It is a celebration of the time that the Allies came together to fight for our freedom and democracy.”
To register for the pre-sale and to receive regular updates prior to the opening in Autumn 2020 visit the website: soldieroforange.com