Otemba - Daring Women

Otemba – Daring Women is a magical music-theatre performance about colonial dynamics, the female gaze, and autonomy. It tells the story of women who follow their own path — across time, space, and social class — and delves into questions of identity and the lasting impact of colonial history. The production is brought to life by an extraordinary international team of musicians and theatre-makers.

During the restoration of a 17th-century painting at the Rijksmuseum in Amsterdam, Cornelia van Nijenrode — a Japanese-Dutch historical figure — steps out of her frame and into the 21st century. She confronts Kirana Diah, the Indonesian restorer of the painting, sparking a nocturnal dialogue that transcends eras.

The performance imagines a magical moment in the restoration process: a singular night-time encounter of heterogeneous identities and cultures, breaking through the limits of time and space — between canvas and reality, past and present, East and West. Two women meet, each determined in her own way to rewrite colonial history. Present at their exchange is a “scanning robot” — an artificial intelligence designed to neutrally analyze data, but which turns out to have a voice of its own.

Otemba (meaning "unruly" or "untameable") is not only the title of the show but also one of over 160 Japanese words borrowed from Dutch. It refers to rebellious women who defy conformity and go their own way.

“In Otemba, characters from different times come together to demand a new perspective on our history. Restoration is often called ‘the management of change,’ and this one offers a renewed, decolonizing view of the past. Otemba comes to life.”
— Director Jan van den Berg

“What lingers is the intense interplay between the two powerful soloists. They carry the story, and their contrasting singing and acting styles spark a fascinating cultural collision.” — Theaterkrant