For nine years now, the players and creators of the performance series 'The Fairy Tales of the Haar' have set off in the early morning hours of Christmas Day, towards Castle de Haar. The slow awakening of the castle from the morning dew makes it a magical moment every time. At that time of day there is still a serene peace in the gardens surrounding the castle. Once we arrive at the chapel, the voices are warmed up, the last instructions are shared by director Marcella Heukels and all the props are set in place. And then the waiting begins...

By the minute we hear, from our temporary shelter, the happy and excited voices of our young visitors increase. Once the first group has taken their seats on the benches at noon, we receive the sign "commencement. A new fairy tale comes to life and finds its way into the hearts of our young, loyal spectators. It sounds like a fairy tale, and it is! Who could have ever imagined that an idea, simple on the face of it, still evokes pleasure and emotion among thousands of visitors after so many years?

"Fairy tales adapted into contemporary narratives."

Several years ago we chose to adapt well-known fairy tales into contemporary narratives. The roots of this can be traced to the medieval performances of the so-called "Mummers. They were itinerant theater companies that performed folk shows during the Christmas season. They used lavish costumes, men played women's roles (and vice versa) and in the story there was a battle between good and evil. All of this topped with a good dose of humor. With the fairy tale performances of "The Fairy Tales of the Hair," we depict familiar fairy tale stories every Christmas vacation with a mix of song, dance and gender role reversals. The performances are filled with humor, current events and there is much interaction between the audience and the actors. Remarks are sometimes on the edge, but not to the point where children mind. It is precisely the ambiguity and naivete of the young audience members that makes it extra funny for the adults in the audience. The audience is expected to join in loudly with, for example, the booing or singing along with the familiar songs. All this goes against all theater etiquette, and therein perhaps lies the very success of this annual fairy tale tradition. It definitely appeals to the performance and imagination of young visitors, and that's the way it should be. There is no harm in coloring a little outside the lines sometimes, as long as "the message" comes across. Look around and enjoy the countless moments of wonder that can be read from the children's faces.

"Another beautiful fairy tale came true today."

This year, the world-famous story of Cinderella takes center stage. Starting on Christmas Day, viewers will experience a surprising parade of wicked stepsisters, good fairies falling from the sky and the long-awaited arrival of a handsome Prince with a found slipper. Beforehand, visitors can explore the castle with "other eyes. So you walk past the bedroom of Cinderella and her stepsisters, learn how to 'fairy dance' and it turns out that the well is not 'just' a well. Fairytales of the Hair is more than ever, a total experience where young and old(er) will have unlimited fun.

When everyone has returned home in the evening and the windows of most living rooms are fogged up by the glowing gourmet sets on the table, peace and quiet once again take possession of the gardens. The lights in the castle and chapel are extinguished and only the costumes on the clothing racks betray that another beautiful fairy tale has come true today.

You are wished a fairytale Christmas!

Patrick de Jong

Producer