Our tip: TRANS-

How often do you change? In TRANS- theatre makers Emma van den Elshout and Just van Bommel show that transition is not something only some people experience: everyone is constantly changing.

At Festival Boulevard, they present a thirty-minute theatrical DJ set combining live-mixed music, sharp writing and dry humour. TRANS- is a performance that continually reinvents itself, changing with the day, the night and the audience.

From a dark techno song about the exhaustion of repeatedly having to discuss gender to an autotuned ballad about a world where everything, including you, is constantly changing. From a song about men who always seem to stand against the wall at parties to samples from Laverne Cox, Hannah Gadsby, Judith Butler, Jinkx Monsoon, Alok Vaid-Menon and Lady Gaga, among others.

TRANS- does not try to provide definitive answers. Instead, Van den Elshout and Van Bommel embrace doubt, contradict themselves and leave room to change their minds. If change is the only constant, why should we stay the same?

The performance premieres on Thursday 6 August 2026 at 20:45 during Festival Boulevard and can then be seen until 11 August in Tent Blauw on the Parade.

COC Noordoost-Brabant supports TRANS- and recommends this performance at Festival Boulevard. Supporting and highlighting queer arts and culture fits our commitment to making room for different stories and perspectives together with cultural partners.

TRANS- | Festival Boulevard

Premiere: Thursday 6 August 2026, 20:45
Performance dates: 6–11 August 2026
Location: Tent Blauw, Festival Boulevard
Duration: approximately 30 minutes

Credits

Concept, creation, performance & music: Just van Bommel
Concept & creation: Emma van den Elshout
Music: Jonathan Bonny
Lighting & design: Erik van de Wijdeven
Coaching: Selm Wenselaers
Poster photo: Isabelle van Putten
Poster artwork: Hannes Schievink
Poster make-up: Patricija Kostelic

With support from Cultuurfonds Den Bosch and COC Noordoost-Brabant.