Bertrie Wierenga, originally from Friesland, will also be seen weekly in spectacle musical De Tocht from October 2023. Bertrie becomes an alternate for Nandi van Beurden, who plays the leading role of Annet in the performance. ‘Being part of such a great performance was another thing on my wish list,’ says Bertrie Wierenga. ‘I was born in Leeuwarden and grew up in Friesland. So I’m going back to my roots’.
As a born Frisian (Hardegarijp, Frisian: Hurdegaryp), Bertrie got her share of the Eleven Cities Madness. “My father, who is now 76, skated the Elfstedentocht no fewer than four times. He can still talk about that beautifully. Then you really notice what a huge national event it is. I myself am not a fanatic skater, but I have to say honestly: when I see ice, it tickles. Then I’ll pull a job on the canal where my partner’s and me’s houseboat is moored. And when I see all those people skating I always get goosebumps. That Frisian is apparently really in my DNA”.
It is not the first time for Bertrie that she has had the opportunity to play in a musical. At the same time as she was offered her role as Shanti in Good Times Bad Times, she was offered a major role in a Dutch musical. “I then had to make a choice because I didn’t want to throw myself into two large projects at the same time. The choice then fell on GTST, which I can now combine with weekly attendance as Annet is of course the ultimate!”
Nandi van Beurden, Wolter Weulink, Theo Martijn Wever, Jolijn Henneman, Boy Ooteman, Thijs Meester and Maike Boerdam will play the leading roles and bring the Elfstedentocht to life. With a 360º ice floor of 2,000m2 and the latest theater techniques, the nearly 1,500 spectators will experience the Elfstedentocht every evening together with the main characters in a story that has everything in it.
De Tocht tells the impressive story of five former skating friends who have lost sight of each other over the years. But in their younger years they made each other a promise: if De Tocht ever comes again, we’ll ride it together. A promise is a debt, especially since one of the friends carries a secret, so that much more is at stake than just getting the cross. Is the bond of the past strong enough or will they lose more on the Bonkevaart than they could have imagined? Musical De Tocht tells a story of suffering, passion, fraternization and making choices. The Elfstedentocht as a metaphor for life. Falling and getting up, together and alone. With impressive music, catchy lyrics and the chillingly beautiful backdrop of the Frisian eleven cities. From October 2023, the spectacle musical De Tocht can be seen in the Friso Theater in Leeuwarden.
Photo: Dorian Bindels
