Tryater has been making leading, mainly Frisian-language theatre for sixty years. Founded in September 1965, we will celebrate a special anniversary in 2025. Because especially in these uncertain times it is worth reflecting on six decades of professional theatre, right in the middle of the community. In theatres, in village halls, in community centres and in recent years especially in unexpected places.

Anwar and Foekje
This anniversary will be celebrated in various ways: first of all, with a well-thought-out theatre programme, such as Tryater has every season. This year, starting with the youth performance Anwar en de wolf, which will tour schools in the spring and return in December as a public family performance. From April, the performance Foekje will tour gymnasiums throughout the province, including Terschelling, where it will be performed during Oerol. Foekje offers various perspectives on the life and career of the Burum athletics legend Foekje Dillema, who was not allowed to make it to the Olympic Games in the 1950s. Was that justified? Why did she keep quiet about it all her life? What do we think of it today? In addition to the performance itself, there is a lot to do and experience within Tryater Rûnom around this story. Podcasts, theme nights and more.

Anniversary book and more
After the summer, when the new theatre season starts in September, the month of its foundation, Tryater will really dive into its anniversary: ​​a beautifully designed coffee table book full of interviews, archive material, beautiful photos and, for example, memories of many people who have ever seen Tryater in their lives will be published via the Afûk. A special anniversary performance will also start in September, of course again at striking locations and in various corners of Fryslân.

The festivities surrounding Tryater’s sixtieth anniversary will continue throughout the next season, so until 2026. Early next year, Tryater will host the Ienakterfestival, where amateur companies from Fryslân perform theatre texts specially written by professionals in the monumental school building where Tryater is located in Leeuwarden.

In between, Tryater will also occasionally hang up the streamers in other ways, whether on social media, in its own building or in other places. The fact that Tryater is happy to still be able to play a leading role in the Frisian landscape after so long will not go unnoticed in the coming year.

Strong support base
Tryater can work with the best directors, writers, actors and other professionals from Fryslân and beyond. The organization has a permanent core of employees and is able to look far ahead and continuously work on special performances and a diverse program. A large number of loyal visitors contribute to this, but Tryater is also happy with the enormous group of Freonen fan Tryater, who support the company with a modest annual amount and in return receive a magazine, discount and occasionally an informative and pleasant Freonejûn.

Artistic director Tatiana Pratley: ‘It is an honour to work for a company with such a history and such a strong support base. Visitors and Friends feel welcome with us but also look at us critically, which we greatly appreciate. It also gives us a sense of responsibility to keep doing what is right. Sixty years is no small fact. The fact that we can still stand tall and create beautiful things in 2025 is partly thanks to the people from Fryslân, the Netherlands and Europe who think it is important and beautiful that we do this. With this support, we can easily go ahead another sixty years: let’s go for it!’