The legacy

Inspired by and following August: Oklahoma, the theatre hit of 2024, Toneelgroep Maastricht will bring the acclaimed family drama The Legacy to Dutch theatres in spring 2027. A top cast including Wendell Jaspers, Anniek Pheifer, Ali-Ben Horsting and Thomas Höppener tells the tragicomic story of the dysfunctional Lafayette family struggling with hidden secrets, twisted memories and unfulfilled desires. As with August: Oklahoma, it is directed by Michel Sluysmans. Legacy is written by the award-winning Branden Jacobs-Jenkins, whose work will be seen in the Netherlands for the first time. The play hilariously depicts the tragic demise of a white, Western family through the eyes of one of the world's most celebrated contemporary black writers.

Legacy is set on a family estate in southern America. Three adult children gather with their families in their late father's house. The contents must be divided, the house sold. As subcutaneous tensions brew and old feuds flare up, the children make a disturbing discovery among their father's possessions that will change their lives forever. To cope with the future, the Lafayettes will have to deal with the ghosts of their past. Otherwise, the demons will haunt them forever.

Branden Jacobs-Jenkins' language is blistering and muscular. The characters are gritty, violent and vulnerable at the same time. The family problems are harsh and witty. But The Inheritance is more than just a family chronicle. The Lafayette family symbolises the demasqué of the Western world, which struggles with the question of the extent to which children bear responsibility for their parents' actions. A world in which the youngest generation will have to find a way to deal with the legacy of generations above it. After the successful productions Een Meeuw (2022), De Kersentuin (2023), Augustus: Oklahoma (2024) and Oom Wanja (2026), director Michel Sluysmans once again brings a contemporary interpretation of one of the best plays in theatre literature with De erfenis.

Credits With: Wendell Jaspers, Anniek Pheifer, Ali-Ben Horsting, Thomas Höppener, Josephine Arendsen, Saar van Roosmalen, Levis Vos and others Text: Branden Jacobs-Jenkins Translation: Birsu Tamer and Jibbe Willems Direction: Michel Sluysmans Music: Elisabeth De Loore Producer: Toneelgroep Maastricht

This show will feature a free pre-show at 19:15. Please do order free tickets. Then we know you will be there!

GA! great hall This show is part of the GA! great hall series - for everyone who resolves to go more often each year and likes to see, taste, experience something new. Four Great Great Hall performances selected by programmer Wieke Vrijhoef. She promises you a Great Evening. So do it. Order the series here!