Normality No More

An intimate and musical glimpse into the safe yet closed world of the “reizigers,” or trailer park residents. For his theatre text, creator Giovanni Brand has been nominated for the Toneelschrijfprijs.

Drawing from his Roma heritage, Brand crafts theatre that speaks from lived experience. With Zanger zonder volk, he earned a nomination for the prestigious writing award:

“Brand presents three fascinating, relatable characters in a uniquely idiosyncratic language. It’s a language that clearly reveals how the words we speak can divide—or trap—us within a group. In this swirling, raw language, Brand lets his characters wrestle with their backgrounds. They want to move forward in life, but they don’t want to lose their roots. Like French literary star Édouard Louis, Brand makes that struggle almost tangible.”

​

At the trailer park, we meet Mamaatje Jaanie and her two sons, Grote Lien and Kleine Lien. They form a tight-knit trio: the mother is illiterate, Grote Lien has limited literacy, but Kleine Lien is considered academically capable by conventional standards.

​

Through Kleine Lien, outside influences begin to seep into their closed world. He starts to question where he truly belongs. We follow a family that once lived in harmony, now slowly unraveling under the weight of alienation.

​

The music explores the cultural richness of the Roma community. Themes, melodies, and ostinato patterns are interwoven with pop songs, all touched by Black Pencil’s signature style. The ensemble performs on a unique mix of instruments: recorder, pan flute, viola, accordion, and percussion.