Ola Mafaalani is a theatre and opera director. She is called ‘the empress of fantasy’. She makes main-stage productions. In januari 2021 she joined Female Economy in Amsterdam as artistic leader together with Adelheid Roosen. Next to that she directs opera’s. Mafaalani also loves coaching women. 2009-2016 she was general director of the Dutch theatrecompany named North Netherlands Theatre (NNT).
Ola Mafaalani (born 1968) is a theater director. Januari 2021 she joined A Female Economy in Amsterdam as artistic leader together with Adelheid Roosen. Next to that she directs opera’s. She also is a coach for women. As of 2009 she was the artistic and general director of the Noord Nederlands Toneel (NNT) in Groningen, in the Netherlands. A position she holded until the end of 2016. In these years her company got a leading role in the arts in the Netherlands and became an example how art can become of great importance in a city. Remarkable is that she succeeded in introducing theatre to people that never thought about visiting a performance. 30% newcommers in main stage has been counted and in her final production Borgen half of the public visited theatre for the first time.
In 2016 she receives the precious ‘proscenium price‘ for her groundbreaking work that brings live itself into theatre and art into society.
Mafaalani invented a new genre: live bingewatching. She adapted the serie Borgen to theatre, lasting 9 hours. It became a theatre-hit with full houses and a selection for the theatrefestival 2016. The documentary made during the bingewatching theatre serie Borgen about Ola Mafaalani (made in 2016 by director Carin Goeijers).
<a href=”http://www.npo.nl/het-uur-van-de-wolf/05-05-2016/VPWON_1257918″>Watch documentary</a>
At this moment she works on “Women in bath (vrouwen in bad)”, again outstanding in concept. She asks 40 women to join her and her actors in lighted transparent bathes for 5 weeks (every week a 3 hour ritual). Last year was the first edition and due to big success begin of 2023 will be the second sequence.
During the pandemie, in 2021 she created a new artform with the ‘Seven Deadly Sins’ at the National Operahouse in Amsterdam. A livestream, live-operafilm where the handcam is following the scéne with mainly close up shots that bring the intensive feeling of the singers and actress to the public. Groundbreaking in a time of pandemie where opera houses are closed she found with her wonderful team a new way to perform for public – no compromises made.
Mafaalani was born in Syria and moved with her family to Germany at age 4. In Bochum she studied film and television (Anglistic, Politics and German). She continued her studies in theater in Amsterdam, and has lived in the Netherlands since 1992. 1995 she followed the post graduate education at DasArts (created by her dear mentor Ritsaert ten Cate). From 2002 until 2009 she was the house-director of Toneelgroep Amsterdam and directed in Europe and the US.
Mafaalani’s outspokenness has been the subject of some controversy; when she opened the Dutch Theater Festival in Amsterdam in 2015, she shared in her speech ‘the state of theatre’ her concern about the lack of involvement outside and inside the theater with human rights, a point she illustrated by sharing the stage with a hundred refugees.
Female senses have her focus to light souls in theatre. Senses and her sincere invitation to a joyful world.
Mission
Mafaalani’s theatre reminds to find sight back of who we are. The truly important things in life need to adjust to an overwhelming mass of information and the drastic changes taking place quicker than ever yet before in history. Ola Mafaalani’s work wants to stop the clock for an hour or two, to address one of the most fundamental questions that confronts us in life: what are you doing on this planet today, and what will you have changed when you leave this mortal coil. Theatre to provide trust. Confirming our audience is proof against change and uncertainty of life.
To build trust in our own strength and flexibility. Flexibility and unforeseen possibilities people encompass.
Social Engineering
This term that Noam Chomsky coined is the connecting thread of the repertoire of Ola Mafaalani: changing consciousness one small step at a time. The theatre has provided insight into human behaviour for 2500 years. This entails 2500 years of pure experience. Mafaalani’s work combines a love of the classics – both tragedy and comedy – with its own unique and ready passion, set squarely in personal storys of people who live now. This draws her work to the theatres, but also has driven her out in the streets to unleash our creativity. High visibility in the public arena reminds people of the value of life and the place where it really shines: when we come together. In doing so, Mafaalani seeks to collaborate with other partys within art en in all disciplines of society. Dansers, with actors, spiritul leaders, repertoire with visual art, actors with politicians, blind people with seeing people, tv-newsreaders with arealists. Her love is to give a central place to people who the society excludes. And always with rich fantasy.In her repertory light pieces are provided a bite, while the serious ones are given a twist. And always with an wide open heart.
The story of one single person is the story of mankind.
Selections and prizes
2017
Royal Netherlands Academy of Arts and Sciences
She was appointed in Januari a member of the Royal Netherlands Academy of Arts and Sciences (KNAW). In The Netherlands only 46 people are asked to join.
2016
Proscenium Price
Ola Mafaalani was the joungest artist in the Netherlands who received an award for her oeuvre, the 'proscenium price': 'for her groundbreaking work that brings live itself into theatre and art into society'.
2016
Borgen
Netherlands Theaterfestival 2016 (selection)
Belgium Theaterfestival 2016 (selection)
2015
Nomination
Gansfort Cultuurprijs 2015
2013
Fellini
Netherlands Theatrefestival 2014 (selection)
Kontakt Festival 2014 Torun, Polen (selection)
2010
Elf Minuten (eleven minutes)
Netherlands Theatrefestival 2010 (selection)
2001
Macbeth
Netherlands Theatrefestival 2001 (selection)
2001
Ten Liefde
Theatre festival Maubeuge 2001, France (selection)
2000
Directors award
Erik Vos directors award
CV
2023
Vrouwen in Bad / Women in Bath
Female Economy
2022
KABAREH CHEIKHATS
Female Economy
2022
Opera, Benjamin Britten: A Midsummer Night’s Dream
Opera Zuid
2022
Vrouwen in Bad / Women in Bath
Female Economy
2021
Kurt Weill: The Seven Deadly Sins
Dutch National Opera & Ballet
Unique live online film experience
2021-2025
she commited as artistic leader of Zina, a female economy in duo with Adelheid Roosen
Zina, A female Economy is a wonderful art group that invents high art projects together with non artists and their storys. It is focused on breaking the difference of ethnic, colour, age, status. Meeting in art, seeing, really seeing the other.
-2016
General director of Noord Nederlands Toneel
NNT is one of the 4 big company's of the Netherlands. Ola leaded the company from 2009 until 2017
2016
Borgen
An adaptation of the Danish hitserie 'Borgen'
in own company NNT
2015
Staat van het theater/state of the theatre
Opens the theatre festival in the main theatre of Amsterdam with hundred refugees.
2014
De laatkomer
Theatre adaptation of Dimitri Verhulst book 'De laatkomer'
in own company NNT
2013
Fellini
A performance about live and work of the maestro
in own company NNT
2012
Misdaad en Straf (Crime and punishment)
Dostojevski
in own company NNT
2011
Hamlet
William Shakespeare
in own company NNT
2010
Medea
Euripides
invited to Winterthur, Switzerland
2010
Tereisias
The story of a blind man who could see
in own company NNT
2009
Medea
Euripides
in own company NNT
2009
La Divina Commedia
Dante
in own company NNT
2009
Eleven minutes/Elf minuten
Paulo Coelho
in own company NNT
2009-2017
General director of Noord Nederlands Toneel
NNT is one of the 4 big company's of the Netherlands.
2008
Frankenstein
Shelley
at d’Electrique
2006
Himmel über Berlin/Wings of Desire
Wim Wenders, Peter Handke
coproduction Toneelgroep Amsterdam (now International Theatre Amsterdam) and American Repertory Theatre, Boston, Cambridge, MA.
Two versions with different emphasis, both bilingual (English and Dutch)
2005
A Clockwork Orange
Anthony Burgess
at d’Electrique & Multi-punkband The Ex)
2005
VPRO television: The day of civilisation.
VPRO TV day about civilisation based on the ideas of Norbert Elias
2004
Romeo en Juliet
William Shakespeare
Actors are pitched against Argentinian tango dancers
at Toneelgroep Amsterdam (now International Theatre Amsterdam)
2004
Othello
William Shakespeare
invited to Winterthur, Switzerland
2003
Le Bal
based on a senario by Ettore Scola
at Schauspielhaus Köln
Germany
2002
Othello
William Shakespeare
at Schauspielhaus Köln,
Germany stayed 2 years in the repertoire
2002
The Merchant of Venice (De Koopman van Venetië)
William Shakespeare
at Toneelgroep Amsterdam (now International Theatre Amsterdam)
2001
Macbeth
William Shakespeare
at Koninklijke Vlaamse Schouwburg (KVS), Brussels, Belgium
2000
Ajax
Sophokles
Mafaalani's first large scale theatre production
coproduction Theater aan het Spui & productiehuis Fact
1998
Key West/Westkaai
B.M. Koltes
at Fact, a site-specific project in Rotterdam
Small stage productions
2015
Mijn Tweede
at NNT. A solo with Marcel Hensema
2013-2016
Mijn Ede
at NNT. About Ede Staal. The legend of Noth of Holland. A solo with Marcel Hensema. Played in every village and in Carré Amsterdam. Became a hit
2013
Mama
A suitcase performance at NNT. Against child abuse. Performes for professionals at social service and for politicians
2005
Extase
Suver Nuver
2004
People in Shit Hotels
Renée Polesch. On location in the Hotel American in Amsterdam’s Leidseplein, as part of the Transition Festival
2002
A well fucked up play
Festival De Parade
1999
The Sorry Saint
about life and work of outsider artist Henry Darger.
at Fact Rotterdam
1999-2001
Ten Liefde/To love
Ko van den Bosch
A modern version of Shakespeare's "Romeo and Juliet" became a theatre hit.
at theatre Bellevue
1999
Reservoir Dogs
Quentin Tarantino
at theatreschool Maastricht
1998
Schwitters material
Combines the poem 'The Onion' with "Ursonate" by Kurt Schwitters.
at Nes-Theaters Amsterdam
1998
Mama Courage
Inspired by Bertold Brecht play Mother Courage
1997
A Battleoper
Inspired by lyrics and music of Tom Waits.
at Grand Theatre Groningen
Noorderzon festival
1996
Leersmoel
Helmut Krausser
at Grand Theatre Groningen
1995-1997
Hairy Machines/Harige machines
S.I. Witkiewicz.
at Grand Theatre and later tour Germany and Poland
