Jon van Eerd hopes for more serious roles after Pretpakhuis closes

Dutch actor and theatre-maker Jon van Eerd hopes to take on more serious roles after his company, Pretpakhuis, stages its final production next year. He says the decision to close the company does not mean he is retiring.

Van Eerd, best known for comedy, told the ANP he is frustrated by being seen so firmly as a comedian. “In the Netherlands, we have a tendency to put ourselves in boxes,” he said. “That is a shame, especially because I actually come from the serious side.”

Pretpakhuis, which he runs with producer Lesley Pols, will end after 12 years. Its final production will be the comedy *Boeing Boeing*. Van Eerd said he had enjoyed the comedies he wrote, directed and performed in, including shows featuring his character Harrie Vermeulen, but was ready for a change. He is also open to productions involving music.

He said it can be difficult for comic actors in the Netherlands to be considered for other kinds of roles, while British actors may move between comedy and Shakespeare. He also finds it frustrating that the same faces often appear on Dutch television.

Van Eerd said business pressures also contributed to closing Pretpakhuis: smaller theatre companies, he said, struggle to compete with larger producers that have more money and can offer more productions. He described that as a factor, but not the decisive reason.

He expects the company’s farewell to be emotional. Van Eerd and Pols first met while working on an earlier production of *Boeing Boeing* in 2008. He said he would not rule out working with Pols again.