The Best Me Deal

Para que Miguel Ángel Gil Marín, máximo accionista de la entidad rojiblanca,desbloqueara una operación que ha tratado de evitar hasta que se convenció deque el jugador ya no aguantaba más bajo la dirección del técnico argentino, hasido necesaria la ampliación hasta 2027 del contrato de João Félix, queexpiraba en 2026. Este alargue del compromiso suaviza la amortización de los127 millones de euros que el Atlético abonó por su traspaso al Benfica en elverano de 2019 para paliar la marcha de Antoine Griezmann al Barcelona, ​​perotambién es un mensaje al futbolista. El club considera que la inversión máscara de su historia no puede ser tratada como si fuera un jugador cualquierapara andar de cesión en cesión si no se diera un traspaso en verano. Ladirigencia rojiblanca ha querido dejarle claro al luso que aún es un valor delAtlético y también que el precio por dejarle salir cedido debía serrecompensado por su parte con ese año de más.

KortrijkDick Descamps (56), he has been playing music for almost forty yearsand is currently bass player in singer-frontman Luc Dufourmont’s bands TwoRussian Cowboys and IDIOTS, surprised with Lone Woof. “For me, this soloproject means just making music, without having to make compromises like in aband. There is nothing wrong with that, but I also like to do my own thingonce in a while,” says de Kortrijkzaan. He immediately presents a surprisingEP with Lone Woof.

His first performance with guitar was at Sint-Amands Primary School Noord inKortrijk. “I don’t really remember why it eventually became the bass guitar,but I have always been a fan of Gene Simmons from hard rock band Kiss and alsogrew up with art rock band The Residents and the American rock band ZZ Top. Itis a wonderful instrument.”

“Without a bass player, a song collapses. I always try to make sure there’s agroove in it, along with the drummer, as the backbone of a band. Put me in theback, I’m reluctant on a stage. It’s a character trait of mine and often alsosomething general, as a bass player”, says Dick Descamps, who reached thefinals of Humo’s Rock Rally in 1990 as bass player of the then rock group UglyPapas.

Read more below the photo.

Dick Descamps, at IDIOTS. Archive image © Henk Deleu

Dick Descamps also played (as a replacement) in 1997 with Loamy Soil, nowknown worldwide as electro rock band Goose, he played with Ozark Henry from1998 to 2010, he was with The Whodads (surf and mambo) from Ghent from 1997 to2015… “ My strength? I have a good sound, I know how to add value to a song.And I never obediently follow patterns, I often look for adventure withsurprising bass lines,” says Dick Descamps, who now continues that sense ofadventure with his own solo project Lone Woof. He set up a music room at hishome to record records himself.

Quote >>> Lone Woof sounds funky and danceable. It leans towards Electric Dance Music>> Dick Descamps

And so there is now the first EP with six songs, from Lone Woof. “I likeworking with samples, I’m not a singer and I know my limitations. Lone Woofsounds funky and is very danceable. It leans towards Electric Dance Music(EDM), with influences from American musician Moby and English musician FatboySlim, among others. A surprising genre, for those who know me, but do notforget that I am also a deejay in addition to bass player, such as in Den Braspub in Kortrijk. It is also by deejaying that creativity keeps coming,” saysDescamps.

Read more below the photo.

Dick Descamps (second from left), several years ago with IDIOTS © Henk Deleu

His first EP can be listened to on the streaming services Spotify and Deezer.“I throw a straw to anyone who might be interested. It’s not my intention toget all the way to the fore with Lone Woof, but I don’t want to stay on thesidelines with it either. The project can play a supporting role, for exampleto write songs for television series.”

Quote >>> I worked on two songs with Cleo, daughter of Luc Dufourmont. She has a> beautiful voice. ‘Mol’ Uma Vandemaele also cooperates. Their drive, ideas> and enthusiasm are refreshing>> Dick Descamps

“And who knows, there will be an LP or a DJ set in a limited edition, withoutperforming live with Lone Woof. Let me make music alone, in my room. It’s myown playground. Super fun. Compare it to visiting amusement park Bellewaerdeon your own, while all attractions are open. Although I certainly don’t doeverything alone, on the contrary. For example, I worked on two songs withCleo, the daughter of Luc Dufourmont. She has a beautiful voice. And ‘Mol’ UmaVandemaele also cooperates. Very nice to involve such young people in LoneWoof. Their drive, ideas and enthusiasm are refreshing. And vice versa, theygain experience with me.”

Fifty years ago, the then 29-year-old George Lazenby played the role of JamesBond for one film, succeeding Sean Connery. Now he also has an idea about whoshould succeed Daniel Craig this time: Liam Hemsworth.

Daniel Craig stole the show Glass Onions , the Netflix film in which theBritish actor plays a detective far from the role that dominates his CV. Thenwe are of course talking about James Bond, the role that Craig said goodbye toin 2021 No Time to Die.

Who will be the next James Bond?

The end of an era. But not the end for James Bond himself. Well before Craigleft the studio for the last time, speculation started about who will succeedhim. And how. The British (gossip) press has been talking about itcontinuously for years, and betting shops are tumbling over each other in anattempt to identify the clear winner.

We’ve seen many names pass by, from Idris Elba to Henry Cavill. At this point,the odds of the bookies especially on Bullet Train star Aaron Taylor-Johnson and Emily in Paris hunk Lucien Laviscount. They are 32 and 30 yearsold respectively. So youngsters, but Bond producers have already emphasizedthat they want to go for a younger talent this time.

George Lasenby

However, it can be even younger. George Lazenby, the man who played the roleof James Bond once in On Her Majesty ‘s Secret Service (1969), was 29 yearsold when he made his debut as the iconic secret agent. Now, fifty years later,the Australian actor also has his ideas about who should be the next JamesBond.

According to the former Bond, you can immediately forget Taylor-Johnson andLaviscount. He has his eye on another big name: Liam Hemsworth.

Yes, the little brother of Chris ‘Thor’ Hemsworth, and also the futuresuccessor to Henry Cavill in The Witcher. If it were up to the now 83-year-oldex-Bond, Liam would also succeed Daniel Craig.

George Lazenby in On Her Majesty’s SecretService (Image: EON)

Liam Hemsworth: the perfect option?

Speaking to TMZ, Lazenby explains that the fellow Australian deserves the rolefor several reasons. First, Hemsworth has a ton of acting experience, despitehis age (29). Secondly, he has a lot of experience dealing with the press andthe absurd amount of attention Bond actors get. Liam is used to being under amagnifying glass, especially now with The Witcher.

Lazenby is also not afraid to compliment himself. He emphasizes that Hemsworthis still young enough to play the role for a decade without his young, good__looks to lose, just like George himself. In his own words, of course.

George and Liam are both from Australia, but Australia is part of the BritishCommonwealth, so according to Lazenby, a “handsome Aussie guy” like Liam fitsthe bill. According to the 83-year-old actor, a Bond “must be crazy enough,arrogant enough, confident enough and ambitious enough to take on the role.” Achecklist that Liam ticks off with ease, according to Lazenby.

LiamHemsworth (Image: VALERIE MACON / AFP)

wait

Thanks for the advice, George. In any case, the best man wishes the person whowill take over from Daniel Craig good luck, whoever it may be. Earlier, theBond actor indicated during an interview that it could be a woman as far as heis concerned, but Bond producer Barbara Broccoli has made it clear that theyare going for a male actor again.

It remains, unfortunately, a matter of waiting patiently. In the meantime,comments from former Bonds and betting offices remain mostly speculation,wishful thinking and noise. Oh well, at least it’s entertaining.

The new First Dates season started yesterday. And regular viewers willnotice: the restaurant has been renovated. Although most viewers are positiveabout the change, there is one thing they absolutely do not like. “Such awrong Dutch cowardice.”

For ten seasons, singles have been going on dates in the well-known restaurantto find love there, but things are different in the new season. For example,the decor has been adjusted: fresher colors have been added, more greenery,new furniture and a completely new layout. The restaurant now looks a lot moremodern and even cozier.

Although this is of course already quite a change in the program, it does notstop there. It also adds a new element First Dates added. The singles whohave gone on a date can decide at the end of their date whether they want tohave another drink with each other or whether they want to go out on the towntogether.

Mostly positive reactions after the renovation of the First Datesrestaurant

Viewers can appreciate the changes to the decor. But it also takes somegetting used to, some say. They compare it to the renovation of the localsupermarket. “The complete First Dates restaurant has been overhauled. Thisfeels just like when my regular supermarket suddenly changed its layoutcompletely. NOTHING IS RIGHT! Lost everything! Error-error-error.”

The entire First Dates restaurant has been overhauled. This feels just like> when my regular supermarket suddenly changed its layout completely.>> NOTHING IS RIGHT! Lost everything! Error error error>> (It’s really beautiful. My brain just can’t do this very> well)#FirstDates>> — Elvira (@ElviravdGriend) January 9,> 2023

There is one element that viewers absolutely cannot appreciate: ‘I can’t!’

Viewers are generally positive about the changes, but there’s one thing theydon’t like. And that has to do with the wardrobe. “It’s a pity that thereseems to have been no more budget for decent clothes hangers instead of thosedry cleaning boys. Does it look so beautiful and then that”, someone responds.

Themessy wardrobe came into view several times. Source: First Dates

Another First Dates viewer says: “A new season, a more luxurious interior,all nice. But, then your wardrobe has those terribly cheap clothes hangers.Such a bad Dutch knucklehead… Too bad.” Another says that the makers shouldtherefore no longer film there. “Those hangers for the coats are really notpossible!”

A new season, a more luxurious interior, all nice. But, then your wardrobe> has those terribly cheap clothes hangers. Such a bad Dutch cosiness… Too> bad.> #FirstDates>> — Jos Kortlevers (@JKortlevers) January 9,> 2023

#first> dates> Well, they better leave that shot at the new coat rack from now on 😂🤣😂> @BNNVARA>> — Bustle maker 🟢 (@Alsikmenietdruk) January 9,> 2023

Whole restaurant is rebuilding and then cut back on the clothes hangers….>>> 😳😳#FirstDates> pic.twitter.com/F0pTurMJqR>> — Johan GrandiGoos (@johan05024017) January 9,> 2023

Too bad there seems to have been no more budget for decent clothes hangers> instead of those dry cleaning boys. Does it look so nice and then that.>> — Ruben Haazen (@RubenHaazen) January 9,> 2023

Looking back now. > Restaurant looks nice, but who #coat> hangers> for the jackets: they really can’t!>> — ineke overbeek ——1,5 m (@Ineke_fietst) January 9,> 2023

The new season of First Dates can be seen every working day at 7.30 pm onNPO 3. Watch episode 1 here.

Foreign artists remain fans of our own Davina Michelle. Did singer Pink everpraise her cover of What about us? , in the past year she received aresponse from superstar Lady Gaga and Jennifer Lopez suddenly follows her onInstagram. “I really thought: what the f*ck. ”

__ During the wedding of Nikkie de Jager (Nikkie Tutorials) and Dylan therewas a performance by Davina Michelle. She had made a cover especially for thelove couple Always remember us this way from Lady Gaga. The video was alsoposted on Instagram. “Nikkie had also reacted to it: Gaga, you have to seethis! ‘ says Davina The last news.

The superstar then responded with: ‘ Beautiful sweet heart’. “Very bizarre,”says Davina. “Lady Gaga and Nikkie were already in contact because Nikkie hassometimes recorded a video with her. That’s how it came about, so it’s reallysuper cool. I felt really honored.” A duet between the two will not happen,she expects. “That seems too high to me.”

Perhaps she can turn to Jennifer Lopez for that, who started following her onInstagram last year. “That is of course the beauty of social media. The worldgets so small at some point. I also really thought: what the fuck. How didthis happen? It’s just really cool about social media that you can get intouch like that.”

Germany

However, a career in the United States is not yet on Davina’s wish list. Shehas, however, started learning German, which she says is ‘really impossible’.Reason is an attempt to release music there. “I enjoy taking on newchallenges. Of course I make music in English. I don’t necessarily have totranslate my music. So I might as well think: I’m going to try it there too.And if it doesn’t work, then it won’t work. And then I at least tried.”

Check out the cover of Always remember us this way by Davina Michelle below.

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Las estadísticas muestran el creciente desinterés de los grandes por la Copade Inglaterra. No es que no la ganen (Arsenal, Chelsea, United, Liverpool yCity han ganado 22 de las últimas 25 finals), es que no van a por ella siestán luchando por la liga. En ese mismo periodo solo ha habido cinco dobletesliga-copa de los que tres (dos del Arsenal y uno del United) fueron hace másde 20 años. El City, que ha ganado cuatro de las últimas cinco ligas, sologanó el doblete en la temporada 2017-18. El Chelsea, que ha ganado cinco ligasy seis copas en 25 años, solo ha ganado un doblete (2009-10) en ese mismo

R . No, pero es un buen Dakar. Con etapas largas, completas, de estarcuatro o cinco horas en el coche. Cambios de terreno, que es lo bonito de estacarrera, no que sea todo lo mismo. And este sentido quiero felicitar a laorganización. El libro de ruta está mucho mejor que el año pasado, y en esesentido no puedo poner ninguna pega.

P. Cuando está en el aire y sabe que tendrá un accidente, ¿da tiempo depensar?

R . Poco. Según caí, lo primero que le pregunté a Lucas es si estaba bien.Le dije que se fuera corriendo para arriba para avisar a la gente, me dabamiedo que cayeran encima nuestro. Luego salí corriendo para ver a Stéphane.Fue una situación complicada, porque cuando llegué estaba inconsciente yEdouard [Boulanger, copiloto de Peterhansel] con un dolor brutal. Me di cuentade que la cosa no estaba bien. fue una situación dura, una situación que nuncaquieres que pase. Yo nunca me había encontrado a un piloto sin conocimiento.

P. El factor riesgo siempre ha estado presente en su vida, ¿cambia lapercepción con la edad?

R . Las carreras de coches son así, si quieres jugar a esto, aunque túpienses que no te va a pasar nada, en el fondo sabes que correr en coches ycorrer el Dakar conlleva su riesgo.

P. ¿Usted no nota el paso del tiempo?

R . Veo que gano especiales y que estoy allí. Ese es el termometro. Yopuedo pensar que soy el mejor del mundo y que estoy en perfectas condiciones,pero si el cronómetro dice otra cosa, es que me estoy engañando. Me baso enlos tiempos y en mis compañeros de equipo, que son más jóvenes que yo.

P. El Audi es un coche tecnológicamente muy complejo. ¿Complica eso eltiempo de reparaciones?

R . Seguro. Nosotros necesitaríamos dos días de descanso para el coche,pero el trabajo del equipo está siendo fantástico. Tener el valor y el corajede hacer un coche así es brutal.

P. Este año han perdido muchas horas parados en medio de la nada, ¿sepuede evitar?

R . Es que no tiene mucha solución, es tan complejo que sería cambiar elconcepto, hacerlo todo más sencillo. Si quieres ser híbrido necesitas lasbaterías, los motores eléctricos, el motor para cargar las baterías, al finalno puedes hacerlo más sencillo.

P. ¿Qué conclusions sacan sobre el coche tras esta primera semana deDakar?

R . Diría que, con la situación actual, con la potencia que nos da elreglamento, se nos hace cuesta arriba luchar por ganar. De lo que se trata esde jugar todos con las mismas cartas. Lo que yo pido es igualdad.

P. ¿Se veía listo para ganar?

R . Si, y así lo dije. El año pasado no, pero este año sí que pensé queoptábamos a la victoria, y por ello la mayor decepción.

P. Cuando tuvieron problemas con el gato y los cambios de rueda dijo queera una pena que ni usted ni Lucas Cruz, su copiloto, no fueran mecánicos,¿entrenarán más esa faceta?

R . Sin duda es una parte importante. Si hay que hacer algunaintervención, de las pocas cosas que podemos hacer nosotros, tratar dehacerlas lo más rápido posible para perder el menor tiempo. La verdad, sinembargo, es que nunca sabes lo que va a pasar.

P. Cada vez aparecen más soluciones sostenibles, y la sensibilidad sobreeste tema es cada vez mayor, ¿ha cambiado su visión sobre este tema?

R . Si, sin duda. Esa sensibilidad por la sostenibilidad va calando, pocoa poco, en todas las personas. Si queremos tener un mundo mejor, tenemos queser sensibles a ciertas cosas queademás ya están probadas. And este sentido,hay pequeños gestos que uno puede hacer en casa. Siempre se puede ser un pocomás sostenible y ayudar a evitar el calentamiento global, a contaminar menos yoptimizar los recursos, ya sea en energía, agua… Cuando era más joven no eratan consciente, pero los jóvenes de ahora están mucho más informados y sonmucho más sensibles ante estos temas, y está bien que sea así.

P. ¿Como se relaja en el vivac?

R . Me encierro en el motorhom ey me quedo allí solo escuchando un pocode música. El teléfono siempre te distrae un poco, hablas con la familia y ya.Lo cierto es que la mayoría de mi tiempo aquí lo uso con los ingenieros,tratando de optimizar el coche y el rendimiento.

P. Tuvo una visita muy especial de su familia al principio del rally,¿cómo fue?

R . Fue una alegría poder tenerles aquí, que pudiesen ver la carrera,seguirme con el helicóptero. Estuvieron también durmiendo en el vivac yentendieron mejor lo que es el campamento y el Dakar. Ahora seguro que entidenmejor todo lo que hago en casa para prepararme, todas esas cosas raras quepensarían que su padre o marido hacía.

P. Que su hijo muestre interés por su disciplina, ¿le ilusiona?

R. Ya lo tenía seguro, y probablemente esto le haya reforzado el interés.Ahora él está centrado al 100% en su trayectoria en la Fórmula 1, lo que noquita que dentro de unos años le pueda apetecer probar el Dakar. Si llega,llegará dentro de muchos años, pero por las preguntas que hace…

P. ¿Le queda algo por hacer o está aquí porque esto es su pasión?

R. Voy dia a dia. Cuando acaba el Dakar siempre digo que es el momento deanalizar y ver cuál es el siguiente proyecto, qué opciones hay. Con Auditenemos un año más de contrato, y veremos qué quieren hacer. Desde luego, meharía ilusión tratar de cerrar el círculo y ayudar a una marca como Audi aganar esta carrera.

P. ¿Si lo consiguiera, se retiraria?

R. No conozco el futuro. A lo mejor dentro de una semana decido parar, oalo mejor dentro de dos años todavía estoy aquí y decido continuar. Tododepende de cada proyecto y de cada momento, de si te has divertido y has sidorápido…

P. ¿Como se imagina su jubilación?

R. Ya me retiré del Mundial de rallies. Imagino que será similar. Mebuscaré algo que mellene el tiempo que le dedico a esto. Y si no, pues mededicaré a jugar al golf o lo que sea.

Esta italianización, que en sí misma es una idea cada vez más ajena al fútbolen Italia, comienza a funcionar como coartada en el club, que vive conincomodidad la distancia entre lo que ha predicado —modelo, estilo, etc— y loque practica , no se sabe bien si porque el equipo no quiere, no puede o solole alcanza a ratos, como le sucedió en el Metropolitano, donde jugó bien 25minutos, marcó un gol que recordó los viejos tiempos —Pedri atravesó la líneadefensiva con el suave aleteo de Iniesta— y al instante abandonó la buenaletra por el garabato.

Speaking with Dax Shepard and Monica Padman on the podcast Armchair Expert_the _Alice, Darling actress, 37, opened up about having made embryos with anunidentified ex, who was “for all intents and purposes, my husband.”

“I was with someone — this was somebody I lived with, for all intents andpurposes my husband. We had embryos together, this was my person,” she shared.”And then about six years in, about somewhere around there, I remember tellingmy brother, when things had first kind of gone down, ‘I’m living with astranger. Like, I don’t know what’s happening.'”

Explaining that she’d seen a personality shift and her partner later revealedhe had feelings for someone else, Kendrick explained she continued to try andwork on the relationship through couple’s therapy despite the continuedbehavior.

“It wasn’t just the, ‘Oh, I’m losing a relationship.’ It was that I believedthat if we broke up or, you know, if he left Basically, it was a confirmationthat it’s because I’m impossible, I’m lucky that he’s even tolerating my b—t.”

Never miss a story — sign up for ** PEOPLE ‘s free daily newsletter** to stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer, from juicycelebrity news to compelling human interest stories.

Anna Kendrick attends the “Alice, Darling” Premiere during the 2022 TorontoInternational Film Festival

Matt Winkelmeyer/Getty Images Anna Kendrick

RELATED : Anna Kendrick Calls Making ‘Alice, Darling’ a ‘Cathartic’Post-Breakup Experience

“There was an inherent thing of me being so rejectable that this person wholoved me very deeply for six years, it suddenly occurred to him, how awful Iwas or something,” she continued. “The shame, that lingers much longer.”

Kendrick recalled how she “dismantled” her life to deal with the tumultuousnature of the relationship in hopes of what it could be if things were fixed.

Story continues

“I did start going to Al-Anon while all this was going on. I mean, look, Itruly dismantled my life, and at first, that was as a reaction to theaccusation that I was crazy and I was the one causing the problem,” sheexplained. “So I had a conversation with CAA, my agency and said I need totake time off, I have a mental health problem.”

She continued, “I started seeing two therapists a week and I started trying tolearn to meditate and I got into Al-Anon and all of these things ended upbeing very wonderful things for me in the long run, but initially went intothem thinking “Tell me how to stop being crazy. Tell me how to stop feelinganything.” “

Anna Kendrick

Isa Foltin/Getty Anna Kendrick

In September, Kendrick opened up to PEOPLE about how Alice’s story in her film_Alice, Darling_ “resonated” with her for a specific reason.

“I was coming out of a personal experience with emotional abuse andpsychological abuse,” she shared, recalling the time she first came across thescreenplay. “I think my rep sent it to me, because he knew what I’d beendealing with and sent it along. Because he was like, ‘This sort of speaks toeverything that you’ve been talking to me about.’ “

“It felt really distinct in that I had, frankly, seen a lot of movies aboutabusive or toxic relationships, and it didn’t really look like what washappening to me,” she added. “It kind of helped me normalize and minimize whatwas happening to me, because I thought, ‘Well, if I was in an abusiverelationship, it would look like that.’ “

Describing her former relationship, Kendrick shares, “I was in a situationwhere I loved and trusted this person more than I trusted myself. So when thatperson is telling you that you have a distorted sense of reality and that youare impossible and that all the stuff that you think is going on is _not_going on, your life gets really confusing really quickly. And I was in asituation where, at the end, I had the unique experience of finding out thateverything I thought was going on was in fact going on. So I had this kind ofspringboard for feeling and recovery that a lot of people don’t get.”

cabaret talent?

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25-year-old Tim Fransen wins the Leids Cabaret Festival in 2014.Image LeidenCabaret Festival

During the Christmas weekend, the remarkable news came out that the LeidsCabaret Festival of 2023 will be canceled due to a lack of quality among theparticipants. In an explanation on the website, the organization wrote thatthe decision was made ‘with pain in our hearts’, but that this year there wasa lack of suitable participants with ‘potential’ for a professional future. Itwas written about the causes: ‘We don’t want to blame corona for everything.The zeitgeist is also changing.’ The message raised the necessary questions:is there currently too little cabaret talent in the Netherlands? Or are thereperhaps too many festivals?

Helga Voets, director of Bunker Theaterzaken, the agency that organizes thefestival, looks back on the decision she made with co-organizer Geert Vriend.Voets: ‘We looked at all applications with all the love in the world, justlike in previous years. But most of them were still too young to participatein a national cabaret festival.’ In its history, ‘Leids’ has produced greatcabaret names, but Voets emphasizes that not everyone has to become a newMicha Wertheim or Tim Fransen. ‘We want participants to feel safe, they haveto try things out and have fun. You never know how careers will develop afterthe festival.’

But due to the nature of the festival, the connection with a professionalfuture does play a role. Voets: ‘The LCF is the only cabaret festivalorganized by a cabaret agency. We are busy all year round with cabaret andguiding professional comedians. We know what it takes to conquer a place onthe Dutch stages and to keep you going. Our approach has therefore alwaysbeen: we don’t see the festival as an end in itself, but in the context of theentire theater field.’

‘Leids’ has three rounds: a first selection in December, in which potentialparticipants submit a video audition themselves. This is followed in Januaryby a round with short performances in a Leiden grand café. This in turn leadsto two preliminary rounds, the semi-final and the final in the LeidseSchouwburg, at the beginning of February. Already at the round with the videoauditions, it was decided not to continue this year. Voets: ‘After we hadlooked at the first 38 registrations – normally we end up around 50 – severaltimes, we came to the astonishing conclusion that the festival is anenvironment for these people that they are not ready for yet.’

It is unique, because never before has the festival been canceled due to thelack of suitable candidates. Firstly, Voets sees an effect of the coronacrisis and the theaters that were closed for a long time: ‘That is the primaryexplanation of what is going on. People haven’t been able to test theirmaterial for two years and thus muster up the courage to participate in afestival.’ With their remark that ‘the zeitgeist is changing’, the organizersare referring to various developments within the theater world and society.Voets: ‘This is too big a subject for now. We’re going to take a little moretime to think about the relevance and future of a festival like ours. Areality check in these changing times.’

The Netherlands has four major annual cabaret festivals: Cameretten, theGroninger Studenten Cabaret Festival, the Leids Cabaret Festival and theAmsterdams Kleinkunst Festival. All four of these festivals also have afinalist tour, with the three finalists visiting theaters throughout thecountry. Since last year, a talent show has been added to television: in I ‘mgoing broke! a talent trajectory was completed by BNNVara that has manysimilarities with a cabaret festival, but now with cameras. Also the threefinalists of _I ‘m going broke! _go on a finalist tour, starting January 12.

Until 2021, the Leids Cabaret Festival was organized in collaboration withBNNVara, but due to the announcement of I ‘m going broke! that collaborationwas broken by Bunker Theaterzaken. Voets: ‘Apart from the substantiveobjections, which we immediately made known to them when the program was stillbeing developed, we had serious objections to the timing. In all the coronamisery, in which all cabaret festivals had to survive with art and flying, howcan you compete with these festivals from a public broadcaster – and our long-standing partner?’

However, Voets does not believe that I ‘m going broke! contributed to thecancellation of her festival. ‘It is rather the other way around: the TVprogram confirmed our idea that it works better for young talent to ‘grow up’without cameras. Not to make a TV out of it. I don’t know if we fish in thesame pond. What we do know is that all three finalists of _I ‘m going broke!_were previously finalists or won prizes at the Leids Cabaret Festival.BNNVara has now discovered the same talent twice. So we see it as a repetitionrather than something new.’

Do the other cabaret festivals also have to contend with too few suitableregistrations? Director Daniël van Veen of the Amsterdams Kleinkunst Festivaldoes not recognize this: ‘I was surprised by the news that there is a lack oftalent. At the Amsterdams Kleinkunst Festival we had a record number of 66registrations this year, while we receive around 35 registrations in otheryears. There are many people from vocational training, such as the King’sTheater Academy in Den Bosch. The level is very high. Perhaps a factor is thatpeople choose us because we have a longer development path. If you registerwith the AKF, your program doesn’t have to be finished yet, you can stilldevelop it completely during the try-outs, masterclasses and coaching that weoffer.’

They also look in at Camerette, despite a critical review de Volkskrant ,satisfied back at the festival last November. Artistic director Eveline Mol:’We thought the level was very high this year. At Cameretten we had just asmany registrations this fall as usual. With the semi-finalists who dropped outjust before the final, we could even have put together a final.’

Nor is Helga Voets of the opinion that there is too little cabaret talent: ‘Werun a cabaret agency packed with talent. So I certainly don’t think there istoo little cabaret talent, otherwise I would have had to run another company.But it would also be strange if you discovered twelve super talents in theNetherlands every year. So if a festival is canceled for once, a man is notimmediately overboard.’