Jalan Jalan Lezers – De almachtige, stille kracht
On Friday 21 August 2026, Jalan Jalan Lezers presents a theatrical reading at Theater Branoul in The Hague. Anita Poolman and Piet van der Pas read from Louis Couperus' colonial masterpiece The Hidden Force, accompanied by cellist Alfian Emir Adytia. The evening also serves as the festive opening of the programme Onder de waringin. Entry is free.
Louis Couperus wrote The Hidden Force in 1900, but the novel still feels raw. Resident Otto van Oudijck runs his district of Labuwangi with an iron hand: orderly, dutiful and stubbornly rational. That very rigidity blinds him, both to the quiet subversion of the mystical regent Soenario and to what is unravelling in his own household. It is a story about colonial power, cultural incomprehension and forces that no administrator can contain.
Theatrical reading with cello at Theater Branoul
Jalan Jalan Lezers gives this story a new voice. Anita Poolman and Piet van der Pas read in turns, while cellist Alfian Emir Adytia deepens the atmosphere. It is not quite a play, not quite a reading in the traditional sense, but something in between: text that breathes, music that lingers. The evening also marks the festive opening of Onder de waringin, a broader programme connecting The Hague to the Dutch-Indonesian heritage.
Dinner beforehand in the theatre café
Those who want to make a full evening of it can arrive early and dine at Theater Branoul's café. Chef Jeroen van Loon prepares a rotating main course, always with a vegetarian option. You are welcome from 18:30 to 19:00, leaving plenty of time before the performance starts at 20:00. Please indicate your preference when making a reservation.
