De plantage van onze voorouders Orkater / Geert Lageveen

Maartje has an extensive family tree with name, surname and portraits. Her ancestors had a share in a plantation, but until now this was not a topic of discussion in her family.

150 years after the 'end' of slavery, Manoushka Zeegelaar Breeveld and Malou Gorter step into the shoes of Maartje Duin and Peggy Bouva - and their family members - to get a grip on their shared colonial history and everything that has resulted from it.

Their meeting is the start of a quest in which they mirror, confront and question each other. Together they return to a shared past, to the Tout Lui Faut plantation in Suriname, the place that connects their ancestors. It is becoming increasingly clear how the historical inequality between women continues to affect the present.

The actresses, Manoushka and Malou, portray all characters and perspectives, but in the end they too have no choice but to expose themselves and speak out to each other.

The live music, which is both exuberant and introverted, makes the past palpable, expresses stories for which there are no words yet and sounds when the conversation comes to a standstill.

“Although awareness of Dutch colonial history has been growing in recent years, the conversation about what it still brings about personally has only just begun. With this performance we want to share and question perspectives in order to connect and ultimately heal.”

- Manoushka Zeegelaar Breeveld