About Us
Not so long ago, in a town not so far away…
A group of friends, fresh from graduating from Leiden University and infected with the English theatre bug (thanks to the Leiden English Freshers), found themselves in Rotterdam with no outlet for their energy. The year was 2012 and no English theatre groups existed in Rotterdam. From this small group of friends, REST was born: the very first Rotterdam based English speaking theatre group.
As with most beginnings, REST started small. They took on their first production, The Mousetrap by Agatha Christie, but various difficulties delayed the performance; they were still finding their feet. Founding member Matthijs van Zuilen took on the role of director and discovered he preferred being on the stage. Founding member Lara Stanisic chose the stage and enjoys that spot too much to leave it. Future director Thomas van Iersel participated as an actor and discovered he preferred directing. Set design was large and unwieldy, and overall REST's first production became a learning process for the entire group.
Since then, the group has found what works and doesn't work for them. Paired down sets and comedic works or thrillers have become their forté, and audience size grows year to year. Past productions include DeathTrap by Ira Levin and Duets by Peter Quilter.
REST's strength has always been its members. With actors that hail from around the world, we provide an inclusive and fun atmosphere for anyone with an interest in theatre. Our aim is high: we want to offer quality theatre productions in English to the Netherlands. Our members deliver on that goal production after production through cooperation, fun, and pure talent. Come and be a part of it!
And may the farce be with you. ;)
A group of friends, fresh from graduating from Leiden University and infected with the English theatre bug (thanks to the Leiden English Freshers), found themselves in Rotterdam with no outlet for their energy. The year was 2012 and no English theatre groups existed in Rotterdam. From this small group of friends, REST was born: the very first Rotterdam based English speaking theatre group.
As with most beginnings, REST started small. They took on their first production, The Mousetrap by Agatha Christie, but various difficulties delayed the performance; they were still finding their feet. Founding member Matthijs van Zuilen took on the role of director and discovered he preferred being on the stage. Founding member Lara Stanisic chose the stage and enjoys that spot too much to leave it. Future director Thomas van Iersel participated as an actor and discovered he preferred directing. Set design was large and unwieldy, and overall REST's first production became a learning process for the entire group.
Since then, the group has found what works and doesn't work for them. Paired down sets and comedic works or thrillers have become their forté, and audience size grows year to year. Past productions include DeathTrap by Ira Levin and Duets by Peter Quilter.
REST's strength has always been its members. With actors that hail from around the world, we provide an inclusive and fun atmosphere for anyone with an interest in theatre. Our aim is high: we want to offer quality theatre productions in English to the Netherlands. Our members deliver on that goal production after production through cooperation, fun, and pure talent. Come and be a part of it!
And may the farce be with you. ;)
KVK nummer: 67104185
