showbizThe show must go on. Five years after he last unleashed his characters on the public in ‘Allemaal Chris’, Chris Van den Durpel (62) returns to Flemish showbiz. As Kamiel Spiessens – the first character he ever came up with – he kicks off his theater tour today in Lokeren. “There are now about sixty performances on the agenda. I never expected my little farmer would still be so popular.”
He would initially bring ‘Spiessens Spijbelt’ in 2020, to celebrate 25 years of career. Corona decided otherwise, however, and postponed its premiere until tonight. “Even after all these years, it’s still exciting to step on stage,” it sounds. “Fortunately, during the try-outs of ‘Spiessens Spijbelt’ (a humorous show in which Chris’ character as an overyear climate truant gives his vision on environmental problems, ed.) the response was positive: the guests laughed at the moment that this was foreseen, and afterwards I always got a lot of compliments. That being said, I have to admit that the show has been tweaked here and there. There are always things that could be done better.”
According to Van den Durpel, there is no stress. “The figure of Kamiel Spiessens is ingrained in my DNA. As soon as I put on that wig, have my face painted and have those clothes on… I’ll be him. Or to put it in his words: “It’s not hard, it’s easy!” (laughs)”
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“The interest is unbelievable”
Initially, Van den Durpel only wanted to perform about twenty shows, but in the meantime the counter has already reached sixty dates. “The interest is unbelievable”, he says. “What has surprised me the most is the response from young people. They know Kamiel from videos on TikTok, and would like to see him ‘in real life’. In the meantime, several halls are sold out, and I will certainly be busy until June 2023.”
His creator does not (yet) want to speak of a definitive return of Kamiel Spiessens – and other types. “That’s too premature”, it sounds. “First I have to experience the physical impact this theater tour has on me. It is not the intention that I will be completely overwhelmed in a few months, or that I will no longer have a voice. To relieve some of the pressure, I will soon be calling on a driver for longer trips. I like to drive the car, but it has to be safe.”
Tickets and info: kamielspiessens.be
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