You snort a line or watch your friend go downhill because of it. You’re offered the chance to earn thousands of euros by picking up a parcel or turning a blind eye at the port where you work. Even when you eat blueberries, they’ve been transported via the same routes used by the underworld. Whether you like it or not, you’re dealing with drugs.

The powerful theatre and dance production DOPE shows how drugs act as an invisible thread connecting all layers of our society. Through dynamic (hip-hop) dance, monologues and intimate conversations, a drug dealer, a parent, a customs officer and a user tell the honest story of the role drugs play in their world. For one person, it’s a party; for another, it’s literally the bin. That’s how you sometimes find yourself right in the middle of a drug deal. Gradually, you are confronted with the consequences of dreams of quick money, the temptation of social media, the failure of anti-poverty policies and the feeling many young people have that they don’t matter.

For DOPE, WAT WE DOEN, in collaboration with the FORT-PORT programme, has conducted research into the dilemmas in the fight against drugs in the Netherlands. Using the findings from this research, WAT WE DOEN and Lloydscompany are collaborating on DOPE. An hour before the theatre and dance performance, the FORT-PORT researchers will present the findings from this research in an artistic way: think of a video, a play or spoken word. This programme is open to all and free to attend.

Performance period: October to December 2026

About the creators

Evrim Akyigit is a Dutch actress of Turkish descent. She studied at ArtEZ and has a rich history in theatre and television, including roles in *Onderweg naar Morgen*, *Oogappels*, *Flikken Rotterdam* and *De Vuurwerkramp*.

Chiem Vreeken is an actor in theatre, film and television. He has appeared in productions by, amongst others, Het Zuidelijk Toneel and Toneelgroep Oostpool, and has featured in various films and series such as *Free Fight*, *Flikken* and *De Toeslagenaffaire*.

Chivano de Mee is an all-style dancer, performer and choreographer with a strong background in hip-hop and experience in house, popping, locking, krump and breakdancing. He studied at the Lucia Marthas Institute for Performing Arts in Amsterdam and the ISH Dance Company, and is active both on the battle scene and as a judge.

Dorrit Griffioen is a Dutch dancer and choreographer, specialising in hip-hop freestyle. After training at the Flow Dance Academy in Paris (2020/2021), Dorrit graduated from the Urban Dance course at the Creative College in Utrecht. In March 2025, she staged her solo performance ‘Silence Between Us’.

Credits: 

Text and direction: Floris van Delft, WAT WE DOEN

Choreography: Lloyd Marengo, Lloydscompany, in collaboration with the dancers

Assistant choreographer: Angelo Pardo

Actors: Chiem Vreeken and Evrim Akyigit

Dancers: Dorrit Griffioen and Chivano de Mee

Music: HAYP (Alvin Lewis and Patrick Mijnals)

Set design: Robin Vogel

Lighting: Mike den Ottolander

Production management: Pieter-Jan Jacobs and Elise de Fooij

Technical support: Stefan Kelderman and Maarten van der Hoek

Costume design: Lotte Goos

Photography: Mark Engelen

Bookings: info@frontaal.com

DOPE is made possible in part by the Performing Arts Fund and the City of Rotterdam