Challenging grand narratives: Performing canonical texts in Dutch TYA

ABSTRACT

Considering the ongoing debates concerning grand narratives and canonical texts it is of interest that several theatre for young audiences (TYA) productions in the Netherlands critically investigated ancient Greek tragedies or national narratives. By discussing the two Dutch TYA productions Iphigenia, King’s Child (1989) and Anne and Zef (2009), the authors focus on the following: first, the image of childhood in recent history; second, the representation of violence, which is often considered unsuitable for children, though frequently inherent in heroic and national narratives; and third, the critical production of historical knowledge as expressed in the two plays.

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the authors.

Notes

¹ Criticism on the concept of canonical texts is deeply intertwined with literary criticism in general, with influential scholars like Stanley Fish, Harold Bloom, Jonathan Culler, Jacques Derrida, Judith Butler, or Edward Said, to name just a few.

² Dasberg even goes one step further in remarking that children nowadays may have become unable or unwilling to be or become part of the world of adults (1984, 20).

³ All translations from the Dutch plays are by the authors.

⁴ It is remarkable that in both plays the mothers become the negative antipodes of the children. Clytemnestra is fighting against Iphigenia’s fate, but she is depicted as a rather hysterical woman, who is acting out her whims on her child without restraints. Zef’s mother again is executing the patriarchal norms even though her husband is ready to break with traditions. It would be worthwhile to study the family constellations in more detail in TYA productions.