Big Pharma - The National Theater / Eric de Vroedt

After a failed attack, a pharmaceutical CEO goes on an investigation himself into the makers of a conspiracy channel, which results in a tense confrontation about truth and distrust. The CEO of a large pharmaceutical company narrowly escapes a failed assassination attempt. The perpetrators turn out to be incited by the presenter of an online channel that spreads conspiracy theories about the company. The CEO decides to visit the presenter at home. What follows is an encounter permeated with misunderstanding and distrust. Our healthcare system is under the strong influence of a small but powerful group of companies. Medicines save lives, but also yield huge profits. How fair is that system? Het Nationale Theater has long been no stranger in Bruges. After the success of ‘De jaren’ (CC Brugge, 2024), Big Pharma is now playing. Eric De Vroedt, artistic leader of Het Nationale Theater, is responsible for the direction. His work has won prizes several times and is permeated with social engagement. Big Pharma is the first performance in a series titled ‘The System’ that conducts research into social systems – from security services to labor migration, from allowances to nitrogen policy. On stage is, among others, Mariana Aparicio. She was also seen in ‘De jaren’ and won the Theo d’Or 2023 for her role in that performance. Regisseur Eric de Vroedt about Big Pharma: “If you delve into the world of conspiracy theories, you end up in a dark hall of mirrors in which nothing is what it seems. The facts of conspiracy theorists are usually not correct, but their instincts sometimes are – although they are often paranoid. Conspiracy theorists expose how we, more often than we want to admit, are insufficiently critical of the systems around us.” Over Het Nationale Theater Het Nationale Theater is the largest traveling theater company in the Netherlands with its home base in Den Haag. Het Nationale Theater adapts classical repertoire and writes new texts, always with an eye on the present. Seventeen actors form the permanent acting ensemble of HNT. It is therefore one of the last large ensembles in the Netherlands.