The Art of Transformation

When photographer Diana Blok asked Cas Enklaar which woman he'd like to play, he knew at once: Lyubov from The Cherry Orchard, in a Chanel-style suit with Tilda Swinton hair. That portrait hangs here, next to Albert Mol in the gown Ank van der Moer wore as Elizabeth I.

Everything comes from the museum's theatre collection. Blok's cross-casting photographs sit beside some of the actual costumes. A chamber theatre from 1781 shows how a few moves turned an Italian street into a prison or a summer wood. And a small separate room belongs to Louisette, the Amsterdam revue star who toured with a suitcase of twenty costumes; you walk in among her dresses and posters with her songs playing.

Anne Rose Bantzinger called it a must for lovers of theatre and nostalgia. With time to spare, you can watch recordings of two full productions, Zzinderella and De Appel's Casanova. Entry is the regular museum ticket (€15.50, free with a Museumkaart), and it has been extended to 11 April 2027.