Outdoor shows

PINOKKIO

Right now I am working with a collective of artists on a modern version of Pinokkio

Our show will be magical, funny, raw and moving and is suitable for all ages. An exuberant show about the truth or what passes for it, about how difficult it is for children and young people these days to find their own way in a forest of disinformation that tries to seduce you into taking the wrong decisions. Above all, our Pinokkio will be a show about a desire for freedom. Creaking musical theatre with visual discoveries and artistic circus work. Exuberant humour alongside disturbing growling!

Pinokkio will be a real circle performance and the playing area a kind of track in which the players can play the audience from all kinds of angles. A small carousel with figures from the famous story will be central. A Chinese mast will protrude from the roof to about 7 meters in the air. On one of the sides is an anchor point for a slack rope. All circus techniques will be fully integrated into the story and are therefore never separate acts. Pinokkio will be a live musical performance with unusual and unexpected polyphonic singing for outdoor theatre. Some scenes will be played among the audience. Pinokkio thus becomes a theatre performance ‘for all ages’, because young and old will be able to enjoy this special production in which theatre, design, circus, music and magic merge into an unforgettable spectacle.

Outdoor shows

SHAKESPEARE TAKE AWAY

SHAKESPEARE TAKE AWAY

A theatrical walk for groups of up to 120 persons.

We all know the works of William Shakespeare…. Right? But who can say they truly know them? Two passionate actors take the audience for a walk and perform with their help one of his famous tragedies. 

This walk imparts a small piece of theatrical knowledge to the group in an easy going and highly comical manner. Providing all who partake with a completely new understanding of this time-honoured story. Elements from the surroundings enhance an already unique experience. Murder, love, ambition and jealousy. This can only go smoothly if you enjoy it to the fullest. And to completely rule out any accidents and feelings of revenge, all props like swords and crowns are made from cardboard.

Joyce van Esch and Norbert Busschers have plenty of experience of engaging the audience in their plot in an irresistible manner.

Norbert is very passionate about cross-overs between various artistic disciplines. 

He has received an extremely varied training through his collaboration down the years with professionals in the area of theatre, music, dance, circus and stage design.  

Whether acting or directing, Norbert creates productions or events based on a topic, a festive start or historical perspective. His immediate contacts mean he can quickly form a team of experts. Preferably people who have an immediate feel for each other and like to get stuck in. This ensures that every event can be beautifully staged, musically, spectacularly or modestly performed and fetching very favourable results for the budgeted amount. For these projects, Norbert tends to use a combination of amateurs and professionals which in turn creates an optimum working environment and regional ties. 

A selection of the projects on which Norbert has worked is given below: 

• Opening of a hospital, utility company, city hall and library, to name but a few

• Youth projects on the wartime experiences of the elderly in Altenkirchen. (GER)

• Youth project on the 30th anniversary fall of the Berlin Wall.

• Opening parade for the Zwolle and Hanzedagen Kampen festival.

• Circus and musical festival production for ‘Deventer op Stelten’.

• Historical theatrical walks for children.

Norbert’s art of directing is clearly distinctive due to his desire for authenticity, credibility, showcasing of individual talent and unexpected twists in the story. Outdoor theatre mostly requires special logistics that won’t interrupt the performance. Norbert is quite at home in applying simple solutions as well as spectacular images if the setting demands.

His knowledge of festivals, events and their audiences is unsurpassed. He gladly helps make an idea feasible, appealing and consistent and will not shy away from experimenting to accomplish this.

He supervised the theatrical aspect and the making street-credible of several productions for the circus theatre Omnivolant from Berlin.  

Norbert also directed a circus tent show for the opening of the European youth festival in Poland.

Furthermore, he was responsible for the final direction of the street theatre ‘Rouwkost’ of Garage TDI. 

He regularly spends a few days with actors who need that little bit extra to make their shows shine.   

The two festivals that Norbert organised allowed for a great variety of art forms. As planner, he tracks the latest trends in the area of street theatre, music and circus. He personally knows most of the groups and can inspire actors to adapt their show for a special location.

The festival in Holten(NL 27 August and the weekend ‘Oeverloos’ in Zutphen 19, 20 and 21 September 2025 offer a variety of theatre and music.  www.festival-oeverloos.nl