EXTRA TICKETS FOR MARCH 5 & 7

BUY YOUR TICKETS HERE

PREMIERE | THE REVIEWS

LEEUWARDER COURANT ***** | Rudolf Nammensma
"Agatha Christie's play and murder mystery The Mousetrap isn't immediately dethroned, but the striking music and striking direction, plus the added layer of drama, make Wijnstra's whodunit quite special."

PLACE DE L'OPERA | Monique ten Boske
"Love takes courage at Opera Spanga."

DE TELEGRAAF | Pieter Klein Beernink
"A captivating opera... Anyone who thinks opera is always solemn and ponderous should visit Opera Spanga. This idiosyncratic opera company has been performing pieces in Weststellingwerf for 37 years."

RONDOM | Yente
"Accessible and intimate... Yet the opera isn't all serious. Despite its heavy themes, Opera Spanga manages to make you laugh several times."

THEATERKRANT | THEA DERKS
"The star of the evening is Wivineke van Groningen, who commands all the attention with her powerful stage presence, impeccable diction, and flawless facial expressions. Mijn Engel, ik geloof je has a great pace under Corina van Eijk's direction, and features beautiful solos by cellist Beste Yildiz and clarinetist Pierre Lafay. Tjalling Wijnstra also manages to blend the four instruments beautifully. The audience in the sold-out Jacobijnerkerk rewarded the performers with loud applause and cheers."

Read the full reviews here (dutch)

winter 2026  | MIJN ENGEL, IK GELOOF JE

Opera Spanga presents Mijn Engel, Ik Geloof Je [My Angel, I Believe You] - a dazzling tragicomic whodunnit opera - by librettist Irma Achten and composer Tjalling Wijnstra, the creators of Madam Scrooge in collaboration with Schouwburg de Harmonie, Leeuwarden, and the Jacobijnerkerk, Leeuwarden.

Ideas, springing from stories of the dominant, monotheistic religions, placed humans at the top of the pyramid. Without any consultation with the life around them, they were allowed to rule the earth. We know the consequences.
read more...

MIJN ENGEL IK GELOOF JE | TRAILER

NEWS

LEEUWARDER COURANT | Februari 24, 2026 (dutch)

Can you marry a bear? Can a bear commit murder? Is humanity so much better than the nature that surrounds it? These questions are addressed in Mijn engel, ik geloof je, the new opera staged by Opera Spanga. read article here (dutch)
LECTURE ON MARCH 5

before the opera Mijn Engel, ik geloof je at 7:00 PM in the Grote or JacobijnerKerk in Leeuwarden.

On Thursday, March 5th, Opera Spanga is organizing a 45-minute lecture by ecofeminist theologian Nikki Apeldoorn. We are proud that Nikki is willing to do this for us.
She will speak about, among other things, Animism, New Animism, and Anthropocentrism.

The lecture will conclude around 7:45 PM. This gives you the opportunity to enjoy refreshments in the church foyer before the performance begins.
OMROP FRYSLAN VISITATED THE REHEARSALS
- A woman who marries a bear: absurdist with a serious message.
- Fryslân Hjoed | February 18 (at 6:50 min.) Watch here (dutch)
INTERVIEW IN FRISIAN NEWSPAPERS

Laughter to Touch: Opera Spanga performs tragicomic whodunit at the Jacobijnerkerk

“If you make people laugh, they open their hearts. And then you can reach them,” says director Corina van Eijk. It’s a sentence that says a lot about Opera Spanga. In their latest production, Mijn Engel, Ik Geloof Je, humor and disruption converge in an opera that grates, moves, and encourages conversation. The performance can be seen from February 26th to March 8th at the Grote or Jacobijnerkerk in Leeuwarden. Read more (dutch)
STADSSCHOUWBURG DE HARMONIE RECOMMENDS:

Mijn Engel, Ik Geloof Je

and interviews Corina van Eijk about Opera Spanga's new opera at the Grote Kerk / Jacobijnerkerk in Leeuwarden.
Read here (dutch)
SUMMER 2026 | DER ROSENKAVALIER

Adultery versus marital fidelity.
Misogyny versus a liberal glimpse into the female soul.

Der Rosenkavalier contains a multitude of themes, making this revolutionary musical work both beloved and reviled since its premiere in Dresden in 1911.
read more...
TOSCA REVIEWS:

"SOLOISTS ALONE: FIVE-STAR QUALITY"

Read here how the press reviews Tosca.
THE SCHAUNARD AWARD GOES TO...

Corina van Eijk
and the entire
Opera Spanga team

Place de l'Opera - read the results here (in dutch)
ACCOMMODATION IN THE SPANGA AREA

Besides the opera, would you like to enjoy a few wonderful days away in the beautiful Frisian surroundings of Spanga? Some suggestions:
Hotel Tjaarda

Hotel Tjaarda, in the forests of the Oranjewoud, offers a 3-day Opera Spanga hotel-dinner package.
For more info and prices: tjaarda.nl
Boetiekpark de Kas

Stay in the nature of the Rottige Meente at the most beautiful place in Weststellingwerf; Boetiekpark de Kas in Scherpenzeel (on bike and canoe distance from Opera Spanga). Beautiful camping spots, 2 hiker's huts, 5 tiny houses and 3 hotel cabins.
For more info and prices: Boetiekpark de Kas
BOOKS ABOUT OPERA SPANGA
35 YEARS OPERA SPANGA IN THE NORTHERN NETHERLANDS

On the occasion of the 35th anniversary of Opera Spanga, the book 35 jaar Opera Spanga in Noord Nederland was created. The book focuses on the period 2019-2024 and is a follow-up to the book Opera in het weiland, the little sister, so to speak. And it gives a glimpse into the plans for the future. This edition is also illustrated with the most beautiful photos of the various productions.

The book can be ordered by e-mail via info@operaspanga.nl. The price of the book is €10 (excl. shipping costs).
BOOK 30 YEARS OPERA SPANGA

In collaboration with the municipality of Weststellingwerf, the book Opera in het weiland was made, about 30 years of Opera Spanga. Journalist Kasper Jansen sketches a picture of developments in the past 30 years, in conversations with Corina van Eijk and a few loyal employees, such as Klara Uleman and Ali Veenhouwer. The book is illustrated with the most beautiful photos of various productions.

The book (Dutch) can be ordered by e-mail via info@operaspanga.nl. The price of the book is € 15 (excl. shipping costs).