Rosa ensemble's mixture of stand-up comedy and music

Rosa Ensemble likes to challenge its audiences. After the premiere, the director told me that they always play with the expectations of the public, in order to offer something unique and unexpected. When they are invited to play in a pop venue, they would always open with a piece of classical music. And, likewise, if they are to play in a classical setting, they would not hesitate to include pop songs in their repertoire. It is in fact this irreverence that has made them thrive and given them a place within the Dutch musical theatre landscape. This time, they have collaborated with stand-up comedian Jan Jaap van der Wal to create a show that combines the distinctive music of the ensemble with the sharp-tongued wittiness of the comedian, built upon the story Simon Vestdijk's famous novel De kellner en de levenden (The waiter and the living). Every night a slightly different show is offered, since all of the performers are ready to adapt themselves to the audience, and to the unexpected developments of topical issues. Both the music and the words are flexible, in the tradition both of stand-up comedy and of Rosa Ensemble, a group fascinated by the tension between improvisation and composition. This show offers a fresh perspective, where experimental music and stand up comedy come into play. For those interested, this piece will still play today and tomorrow at Festival a/d Werf (be aware of the fact that this performance is in Dutch)