With Mata Hari Returns, writer Melissa Knollenburg and director Nita Kersten bring her story into the present day. From their female perspective and urgency: raw, honest, poetic and full of fire, accompanied by a swinging four‑piece live band.

Mata Hari Returns tells the story of two strong individuals, Mata Hari and their child Nonnie, who barely saw each other in life and now meet after death. While Mata Hari sings herself free from the image others projected onto her, Nonnie tries to understand the bizarre life of a parent. Can they still find each other, or does this only drive them further apart than ever?

From Leeuwarden to the former Dutch East Indies, to the firing squad in France: Mata Hari Returns is a journey through time and through the inner world of a figure who was always seen, but rarely truly heard. Four outstanding musicians provide a compelling and moving soundtrack, driven by percussion, electronics, electric guitar and bass. Their music carries the story, setting it in motion and giving it edge.

The story of Mata Hari and Nonnie explores feminism, strength and vulnerability—from a painful past toward a new beginning.

• artistic direction Michiel Schreuders concept & direction Nita Kersten concept & text Melissa Knollenburg compositions Rory Ronde, Yariv Vroom, Jasper Goedman, Nathaniel Klumperbeek & Lilian Vieira performance Kyra Bououargane & Ezra Koppejan music Rory Ronde, Yariv Vroom, Jasper Goedman & Nathaniel Klumperbeek
• pre‑programme The evening begins with a walk through a pop‑up exhibition. Then you enter the theatre, where past and present merge—offering a new perspective on a story that has resonated for more than a century.