Shakespearetheater Diever

The Shakespearetheater Diever is an open-air theatre in the forest on the edge of the village, where Shakespeare plays have been performed every summer since 1946. The productions are in Dutch, performed by local amateur actors, and take place in a purpose-built forest clearing that seats several hundred people. In 2016 a new Globe Theatre — a replica of the original London Globe — was added to the site.

The programme runs from late June through August, typically two productions per season. Past seasons have included King Lear, Macbeth, A Midsummer Night's Dream, and The Tempest. Tickets sell out well in advance for popular evenings; booking ahead is essential. Bring a jacket — Dutch summer evenings in the forest can be cool. The atmosphere, with the trees closing in overhead and the stage lit by lanterns, is genuinely magical.

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A story
The Shakespeare festival in Diever began in 1946, when a group of local residents decided to perform A Midsummer Night's Dream in the forest. They have been doing it every summer since. The performers are amateur actors from the village and surrounding area, the productions are entirely in Dutch, and the annual audience of around 20,000 people comes from across the Netherlands — making this tiny Drenthe village one of the most visited theatre destinations in the country.