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English Language Theater in Amsterdam
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11219 |
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Section : |
THE ARTS
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| Issue
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5 / 1986 |
1,610 Words |
| Author
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Christopher V. Davies
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"The children in Holland take pleasure in making
What the children in England take pleasure in breaking."
--English Nursery Rhyme
This cryptic rhyme would seem overly gratuitous were it not for the fact that its origin is English not Dutch. In reality, there is an enthusiasm in Amsterdam for English language theatrical productions that would usually be expected only in places where English is the native tongue. This can be explained rationally by considering the international nature of the city with its large foreign population and flourishing tourist trade. But these factors also apply to many European cities; Amsterdam is rather special.
Ever since the huge profits of the East India company made Amsterdam the financial capital of the world in the seventeenth century its people have had a lively interest in the arts and cultures of other peoples, and the decline of Holland as a world power has probably increased rather than decreased this appreciation. The Amsterdammer recognizes that he cannot be content with his own language alone if he wants to make a mark on the world, and if asked if he speaks English will reply "Of course," as if not to do so would be unthinkable.
Members of the English Speaking Theatre Amsterdeam (ESTA) offer productions for nearly half the year, renting theater spaces as they need it, and are currently considering obtaining their own theater and extending their performances. Their current production celebrates their eighth anniversary and includes three of the cast of their first production Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf. It is initially a little unnerving to see Arthur Miller's A View from the Bridge (a tale of Sicilians trying to succeed in New York) performed by a wholely antipodean cast, but the total involvement of the actors exudes an irresistible charm. The play is dominated, as it should be, by the character of Eddie Carbone, played totally convincingly and with considerable energy by ESTA's honorary chairman, Keith Greystoke.
Eddie's incestuous, albeit unwitting, affection for the niece he adopted as a child causes him to be excessively critical of her suitor, and Greystoke's performance evokes a certain sympathy for him, also investing him with a certain dignity, but without compromising the wrongness of his thoughts, words, and acts. Eddie is, incorrectly, convinced that Rodolpho is a homosexual, and his confrontation with Rodolpho was considered so shocking in 1955 that the play was banned in London, but his hesitating, stumbling denunciation to the lawyer Alfieri now seems circumspect and dated. The narrator aspect of Alfieri's role is a rather awkward and sometimes irritating part of the play, pointing the spectator to conclusions he should be free to discover for himself, and ESTA's production is unable to overcome this flaw, but the vigor of performances carries an emotional clout while still leaving space for reflecting on the issues raised.
Keith Greystoke's business commitments now curtail his involvement in ESTA, but he remains a commendable example of what is often considered a uniquely British archetype: an amateur who is more devoted, dedicated, creative, and professional in attitude than many who are professional only in the fact that they get paid for their work. ESTA's current artistic director is Jill van der Aa-Shand, another antipodean who expresses
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