Aletta the musical

PERFORMANCE
Aletta the Musical follows the life of Aletta Jacobs (1854–1929), the first female doctor in the Netherlands and a key figure in the fight for women’s rights. At a time when women were excluded from education and politics, she advocated for access to higher education, contraception, and the right to vote. The performance shows how her personal life and social activism are closely intertwined, and how her progressive ideas clashed with the established order. Through a mix of humor, music, and reflection, it creates a portrait of a woman who set lasting change in motion.

SCENOGRAPHY
The scenography of Aletta the Musical is inspired by the book in which Aletta Jacobs presents the female body—through fold-out pages and layered illustrations—as a source of knowledge and autonomy. This idea is translated into a fold-out, flat landscape: a pop-up world where times and places flow into one another, from the small village of Sappemeer in 1870 to the Netherlands in 2026. The collage-like style allows for quick transitions and gives the whole a constantly shifting quality. At the same time, the set remains open and schematic: changes and interventions by the performers are visible. Rather than creating an illusion, the stage actively carries the story. The band is on stage, starting in the background and gradually becoming more prominent, until it takes center stage at the climax.