Foekje Dillema, ‘the Frisian steamroller’ from Burum. In the late 1940s, she crushed her competition in the international running circuit out of nowhere. In 1950, she was supposed to participate in the European Championships in France as a major contender. But that didn’t happen: there were doubts as to whether the lightning-fast country girl was actually a woman. She refused the newly introduced sex test. Foekje was banned for life. Her Olympic dream was crushed in the bud. She kept quiet about this drastic life event until her death. Was this out of shame? Out of pride? Or resistance? Should we also remain silent?
The performance Foekje is a musical, emotional reconstruction of Foekje’s life. Diverse characters try to reveal what Foekje has to tell us today. What is it like to be excluded because of who you are, in sports and in society? And what does her story say about us, about who we are?
In gymnasiums throughout Friesland and at Oerol Terschelling we celebrate Foekje’s explosiveness, resilience and tenacity.
- In Foekje the language spoken is predominantly Frisian. Dutch subtitles are available
- English subtitles: available (smart glasses) as from 23 april. Choose the ’ticket + smart glasses’
- Admission prices: €22.50 (regular), €19.50 (Freonen van Tryater), €16.50 (Young up to 25 years)
Accessibility
Tryater believes it is important to be as accessible as possible for everyone. To this end, we work together with various organizations that are committed to an inclusive theater experience.
