Dates

16-25 May 2025

Location

Dutch National Opera & Ballet, Main Stage

Running time

1:15

Tickets

From € 13

Anansi
Photo: Hugo Thomassen

Explosive mix of opera, ballet and hip-hop

Music, dance and imagination come together in How Anansi freed the stories of the world. Hailed in 2021 as “dazzling and imaginative music theatre”, this production is now back – with even more energy!

In a unique blend of styles and voices, the story of Anansi is brought to life in a way that will stay with you, full of humour, sharp wit, and the pressing question: how do you resist a ruler who controls all the stories? Enjoy operatic vocals and infectious rhythms, colourful costumes and sets, and a contemporary fusion of ballet and hip-hop.

The stories of Anansi

How Anansi freed the stories of the world is performed by artists from a wide range of disciplines: a DJ, opera singers, musicians from various genres, ballet dancers and hip-hop dancers. In this vibrant performance, cultures, languages, sounds and dance styles flow together.

The creators – composer Neo Muyanga, writer Maarten van Hinte, choreographer Shailesh Bahoran and stage director Kenza Koutchoukali – deliberately chose a non-Western source of inspiration: the tale of the cunning spider Anansi, who tries to break the power of Tigri the tiger. The Anansi stories originate from Ghana and travelled with enslaved people to the Caribbean, where this storytelling tradition became a subtle form of resistance against the plantation owners.

Caught in his own web

Designer Dieuweke van Reij created a vivid urban jungle as the world of Anansi and the other animal characters, in stark contrast to the cold, golden palace where Tigri is holed up. That palace is where Tigri keeps all the stories of the world: only he decides which stories are told – and how. When Anansi comes knocking to try and charm the stories out of him, Tigri sees his chance: he promises to set the stories free, but only if Anansi can capture the animals Tigri has not yet brought under his control. Anansi eagerly accepts the challenge, but it soon becomes clear that this time, he may be caught in his own web of tricks.

Credits

Libretto and dramaturgy  Maarten van Hinte

Stage director  Kenza Koutchoukali
Musical direction  Lochlan Brown
Composition  Neo Muyanga
Set and costume design  Dieuweke van Reij
Sound design  Nina Kraszewska
Dramaturgy  Maarten van Hinte, Wout van Tongeren en Naomi Teekens
Lighting design  Mike den Ottolander

Anansi  Thando Mjandana
Makuba  Katia Ledoux
Tigri  Frederik Bergman
Snake the Serpent  Martin Mkhize
Sisa Leopard  Carla Nahadi Babelegoto
Princess Vixen  Claron McFadden
The Black-and-Yellow Hornets  Liza Lozica, Sabra El Bahri Khatri, Vanel Djoko

Scratch DJ  DJ Abstract (Gestow Power)
Drummer  Carlo Hoop

Junior Company – Dutch National Ballet

Musical accompaniment  Netherlands Chamber Orchestra conducted by Lochlan Brown

Co-commission and co-production Dutch National Ballet and Dutch National Opera

Performance for schools
We offer an exclusive school matinee for primary school students. For more information see here

Order tickets

Youth aged 35 and under can attend this performance for only € 15,00 (including booking fee), regardless of which price category is ordered.

Ticket prices

We provide discounts tailored for certain groups to ensure our performances are accessible to all. Please visit this page to determine if you qualify for a discount.

Price category

Standard

CJP | Stadspas

Youth aged 35 and under

1st

€ 48,00

€ 41,00

€ 12,00

2nd

€ 41,00

€ 34,00

€ 12,00

3rd

€ 31,00

€ 26,00

€ 12,00

4th

€ 20,00

€ 15,00

€ 12,00

5th

€ 12,00

€ 10,00

€ 12,00

6th

€ 10,00

€ 5,00

€ 10,00

Dutch National Opera & Ballet uses a system of dynamic pricing. This means that tickets for popular performances may increase in price as the performance date approaches and more tickets are sold. All prices exclude the booking fee (€ 3 per ticket).

Student discount and student alert

Last-minute deal! When a performance isn’t sold out, students can purchase a ticket online for just € 20 on the day of the performance starting from 13:00.

To stay updated on more offers, sign up for our student alert. This way, you’ll be informed in advance about which performances you can attend for just € 20!

loading Loading tickets...
Kenza Koutchoukali

“What I'm looking for is radical empathy”

Director Kenza Koutchoukali on her makership.

Carla Nahadi Babelegoto as Sisa Leopard and ensemble
Carla Nahadi Babelegoto in How Anansi freed the stories of the world (2021) | Photo: Bart Grietens
Ensemble
How Anansi freed the stories of the world (2021) | Photo: Bart Grietens
Anansi
Arjuna Vermeulen in How Anansi freed the stories of the world (2021) | Photo: Michel Schnater
Martin Mkhize as the Serpent
Martin Mkhize in How Anansi freed the stories of the world (2021) | Photo: Michel Schnater
Netherlands Chamber Orchestra

Netherlands Chamber Orchestra

The Netherlands Philharmonic and Netherlands Chamber Orchestra have been the main orchestral partners of Dutch National Opera since they were established in 1985. The two orchestras, with the Concertgebouw in Amsterdam as their main base, are regarded as among the best opera orchestras in the world. 

Photo: Anna van Kooij

Nederlands Kamerorkest

The Netherlands Philharmonic, with chief conductor Lorenzo Viotti at the helm, concentrates on the large-scale symphonic repertoire while the Netherlands Chamber Orchestra is a smaller, more intimate orchestra with 25 to 45 musicians led by concertmaster and artistic director Gordan Nikolić. Both orchestras present their own programmes and regularly work with internationally renowned guest conductors and soloists, as well as with the new generation of up-and-coming top musicians. The orchestras perform at numerous venues, bringing people together through their music and giving both classical music aficionados and new audiences a musical experience to remember. With their welcoming home base NedPhO-Koepel, located in east Amsterdam’s Indische Buurt neighbourhood, the orchestras are firmly embedded in the community.

In the 2024 – 2025 season, the Netherlands Philharmonic will be performing the operas Rigoletto, Peter Grimes, Die Fledermaus and Die Frau ohne Schatten while the Netherlands Chamber Orchestra can be heard in Idomeneo, How Anansi freed the stories of the world and the Opera Studio production Dido and Aeneas.

in the media
Reviews (2021)

(...) dazzling and imaginative musical theater.

14 November

The diverse cast, the explosion of crossovers between disciplines, and the picturesque stage setting are a feast for the eyes.

15 November

Cheerful show centered around spider Anansi.

15 November

Lecture | Dancing across cultural and national borders

In two public lectures in English, dance and performance scholar Gabriele Klein will once again place the themes of performances of Dutch National Ballet in the context of current dance and socio-political debates. The lecture related to How Anansi freed the stories of the world explores the cultural transmission of dance in a globalised world. What happens in this process? 

Introduction

An introduction offering background information to enhance your theatre experience will take place 45 minutes before the performance. The introductions, held in Dutch, are free and require no reservation — simply present your ticket. They are held in the Souterrain.

The Junior Company is made possible by