THE UNBELIEVABLE FABLE OF JAN KLAASSEN
A wordless comedy of love, life, death and everything in between.
Traditional Dutch Puppet Theatre
Meet Jan Klaassen, the mischievous musical Dutch folk hero who always manages to get himself into trouble.
From love and marriage to babies, work, the army, Death and the Devil, Jan takes us on a hilarious journey through the absurdities of human life. The story is shown for over 300 years on the main square of Amsterdam, in front of the Royal Palace, and has been touring europe for over a century.
With expressive hand puppets, slapstick, unexpected encounters and plenty of comic chaos, this traditional puppet show turns the great dramas of life into a wonderfully entertaining spectacle.
Jan Klaassen may be a small puppet, but his problems are as big as ours.
No language. No translation. Just pure visual comedy.
A Dutch Hero in a European Tradition
Jan Klaassen is the Dutch cousin of Europe’s great comic puppet characters: Britain’s Punch, France’s Polichinelle and Italy’s Pulcinella.
For centuries, these unruly characters have entertained audiences with physical comedy, irreverence and their refusal to behave. Each country has developed its own version, but the spirit remains the same: a mischievous hero, a world turned upside down and laughter shared across generations.
Puppeteer Egon Adel continues this living tradition from Amsterdam, where he took over the classical puppet theatre on Dam Square in 2012. He designs and carves all puppets and teaches the art to the next generation.
His performances bring this distinctive Dutch tradition to life, connecting the history of European popular theatre with the universal language of visual comedy.
A Show for International Festivals
The Unbelievable Fable of Jan Klaassen is a compact and versatile puppet show for festivals, street theatre programmes and cultural events.
- 20–40 minutes: flexible performance duration.
- No spoken language: accessible to international audiences.
- Indoor and outdoor: suitable for a variety of performance settings.
- Quick setup: approximately 15 minutes.
- Flexible location: can be performed in a wide range of places, subject to the practical requirements of the venue.
- A broad audience appeal: physical comedy and timeless characters that bring people together across generations.
Bring Jan Klaassen to Your Festival
Looking for a funny, distinctive and visually engaging performance with a genuine European cultural heritage?
Let Jan Klaassen loose on your festival audience!
Available for international festivals, street theatre programmes and cultural events.
For bookings and enquiries:
Egon Adel
Email: info@poppenkastopdedam.nl
Website: https://poppenkastopdedam.nl/
Phone/ whatsapp:+31613356357
People About This Show
Why Book This Show?
- Language-free performance: accessible to international audiences.
- For a broad audience: visual comedy and physical storytelling for young and old.
- Rooted in European tradition: inspired by Commedia dell’arte and the history of popular puppet theatre.
- Interactive and engaging: a playful encounter between puppets and audience.
- Made for festivals: a distinctive theatrical experience for street theatre, puppet theatre and family arts programmes.
About The Puppeteer:
Egon Adel is the puppeteer that is now playing the national square Dam and the famous Rembrandtplein. He started his puppet theatre in 2005. When Egon came in contact with puppetmaster Wim Kerkhove in 2011, he took over the traditional puppetshow on Dam square. It was here that he learned of the old crafts and stories connected to Jan Klaassen for over hundreds of years. He has shows without language inspired by the characters of the Commedia dell’ Arte and keeps the soul of the historical (anti-) hero alive: Jan Klaassen – the most famous puppet of the Netherlands.
