page_title: Koninklijke Schouwburg
section_title: Closure, renovation and revival
hierarchical_section_title: Koninklijke Schouwburg / Closure, renovation and revival
caption_attribution_description: English: The Hague Royal Theater / Koninklijke Schouwburg Den Haag (2014) - Photo: Persian Dutch Network
context_page_description: The Koninklijke Schouwburg is a theater in the city center of The Hague. The theater was built in 1766 and has been in use as theater since 1804. From 2017 it is one of the theaters in use by the national theater company Het Nationale Theater, but also other companies perform in the Schouwburg.
  The main room of the Schouwburg is relatively small for current standards, and can seat 680 people in total with the main room and three balconies. The stage has a 1929 antique revolving stage that is still functional but no longer in use. It is considered as one of the most prestigious theaters in the country.
context_section_description: In 1901 the city council of The Hague decided to close the theater because of unsafe fire conditions. This triggered an intense debate in the city on whether or not to keep the Koninklijke Schouwburg, the so-called Schouwburg-quaestie (the matter of the Theater) that was eventually decided in favor of the proponents of renovating the Koninklijke Schouwburg. The theater was closed for a decade and rigorously renovated by City Architect J.J. Gort, completely overhauling the interior of the building around the theater room.
  The theater room itself was provided with a new, lively decorated, ceiling that was painted by Henricus Jansen and further decorated with a colossal chandelier in the secession style. After World War I, permanent companies were assigned to play in the Koninklijke Schouwburg. The first company was contracted in 1921: the Haghespelers in 't Voorhout of Eduard Verkade. Because Verkade mostly brought progressive theater and didn't succeed in warming up the audience to the same, his company was replaced in 1924 by the Vereenigd Rotterdamsch-Hofstad Tooneel of Cor van der Lugt Melsert.
  In 1929 the backside of the building was extensively renovated, a stage tower was installed to make it possible to hoist up decors and the dressing rooms were modernized. In 1938 the Vereenigd Rotterdamsch-Hofstad Tooneel fell apart, and the then recently founded Residentie Tooneel (Residence stage company) was appointed as their successor. Literary matinees became more common, where a guest speaker would discuss a literary topic, illustrated by actors who would recite scenes from plays, prose and poetry. A youth company was founded to perform plays for schools.
  During 1940-1945 (World War II), the name of the theater was changed by the German occupying force to Stadsschouwburg (City Theater). After a while the theater was appointed as the home theater for the Deutsches Theater in den Niederlanden (German: German Theater in the Netherlands), which forced the Residentie Tooneel to move to the Princesse Schouwburg. These changes were reverted after the war.
  When the board of the Residentie Toneel quit in 1947 after an internal conflict, the Haagse Comedie (Comedy Company of The Hague) was selected as the new company to call the Koninklijke Schouwburg their home. They developed their own style, and in 1988 it was reformed into the Nationale Toneel (National Stage Company).
caption: Interior of the Koninklijke Schouwburg (2014)
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