Performance 'Af - Back to Srebrenica'

“If you go back, I’ll be rid of you.” That’s what Ben’s wife, Dutchbatter, said during the fall of Srebrenica. But he goes back. 

Thirty years later.

Monologue
After the highly acclaimed solo: 'NEXT X'  actor/theatre maker Nico Meurs (Alkmaar, 1970) returns to the theatres this season with: 'AF - Return to Srebrenica'.

‘AF’
Ben works in the warehouse. Among the shelves: “But no gunfire here…”. His colleagues don’t know that he served in Srebrenica. The fewer people know that, the better. Ben talks about his experiences. What he did. What he *did not* do. And why he needs to go back. He still has something to do. It’s not: ‘over.’

Humanity
In an intriguing and sincere monologue, Ben tells – with some dark humour – his side of the story. How they had to maintain peace. And why that was essentially impossible. And what impact those few months had on the rest of his life. Despite the catastrophic outcome, the piece breathes: hope and humanity.

Genocide 
For various reasons, 'AF - Return to Srebrenica' is the right piece at the right time. In May ’25, we celebrated in the Netherlands: 80 years of freedom (1945 - 2025). And in July ’25, it was thirty years since the ‘safe’ enclave in Bosnia fell. During the subsequent genocide, over 8,000 Muslim men were murdered. The Dutch blue helmets present at the time faced misunderstanding and criticism upon returning to the Netherlands. With this monologue, Nico Meurs (Drama School Amsterdam 1994) genuinely conveys the dilemmas and emotions that veterans of all times and missions will recognise.

Current
'AF - Return to Srebrenica' features several universal themes. It tells us something about the current times. Think of the situation in Ukraine and Gaza. That makes the performance relevant and relatable. And despite the heavier theme, the piece is also hopeful and at times even playful, with plenty of (dark) humour, music, and movement.

“AF – Return to Srebrenica” will be performed on Sunday 26 October at Theatre De Avenue in Breda. Start time: 14:00. Tickets via: https://de-avenue.nl