Funny, sad, scary, sweet, unbelievable, comforting stories: that's what Soula's Storytelling Nights are all about. Make yourself at home and listen to stories from all over the word!
Come and listen to experienced storytellers and talented newcomers tell their tales. And if inspiration strikes, audience-members are invited to put their name in a hat. At the end of the night two names will be picked at random and these two lucky birds will get to share their story. True stories about crazy families, horrible dates, myths, folk tales, newly written stories: anything goes as long as the stories are told and not read from paper.
Soula's Storytelling Nights are in English. Theme for this edition will be: What a man!
Halil Cikmazkara is a writer and performer who weaves personal stories into spoken word and theatre, exploring themes such as identity, inequality, and belonging. His work is poetic and raw, infused with humor and vulnerability. Through his participation in the Hoge Ogen Trajectory at the Bijlmer Parktheater, he is deepening and expanding his stage language, where the intimate constantly collides with the wider world. On May 29, 2026, he will perform there with his piece Altijd Onderweg.
Utrecht based Rian Evers is a troubadour, songwriter, composer, singer and musician. For over ten years she has been writing songs, composing music and performing. Now, in collaboration with other musicians she performs under the name of Reversed and is working on their first work a double-debut-EP called Headstrong.
Sanne van Dijk is an actress, puppeteer and storyteller. For over 15 years, she has been bringing stories to life in theatre and on television, ranging from intimate living-room performances to large-scale site-specific productions. As a puppeteer, she contributed to the lead character of the TV series Dropje (Doopie), which was nominated for an International EMMY Kids Award. In 2023, she created her first storytelling show, VLOED, and performed at festivals such as Oerol, Amsterdam Fringe and the Istanbul Fringe Festival. In her work, Sanne draws on her own life experiences to explore universal truths. Her stories are honest and confronting. She speaks openly about her own struggles and challenges and invites the audience to face their own.
"Soula’s living room was once again a warm, cozy place where people dared to tell personal things to complete strangers. The benches were filled to the last spot. Tea, coffee and baklava. Especially the stories from countries where there is little room to be yourself made an impression on me. Soula’s summary at the end was both moving and hilarious."
"Soula is a great comedienne and hostess who is brilliant at creating a friendly atmosphere. People are invited to think outside the box and experience the magic of the story. The storytelling culture in Utrecht gets a nice boost because of this and these evenings are indispensable."
