Text: Paul Hofman
Photo: Remon van den Kommer
Video: Paradox Productions
Theatre figurehead Barrie Stevens: a true artist.
At seventeen he left prudish England for the Netherlands. A long stage career followed. Sixty years on, it’s time to look back on those years, the love of his life and Pride Amsterdam. Barrie Stevens (77) is one of this year’s ambassadors for Pride Amsterdam. During the nine-day event he will make his voice heard many times. ‘For three nights, on 3, 4 and 5 August, I will be on stage at the Polanentheater with the special performance Dood aan zee.’
From his living room Barrie enjoys the view over the Amstel. He talks a mile a minute about his life, ageing, his latest shows and his role as ambassador. The common thread: following your passion. His living room is an oasis of calm in his busy life. Near his dining table hangs a large black-and-white photo of Leen Jongewaard on the wall. ‘We shared joys and sorrows for eighteen years. With ups and downs. He meant everything to me — I regarded him as my brother, coach and lover.’
Embarrassed
‘I was as green as grass when I came to the Netherlands. I left behind the narrow views on homosexuality in England and arrived in a much freer Amsterdam. Well, those were the exciting sixties. Wow, it felt so good.’ Soon Barrie found his way into the profession as a dancer. ‘I felt like a fish in water. Looking back: “At last I could be myself. No more sneaking around with boys. Gays then were seen as criminals. No, here I could be gay one hundred percent.”’ Although the Netherlands became his new home, he never let go of England. He still travels back regularly to visit his parents. In 2019 he received his Dutch passport.
Multitalented
The theatre world gave him great freedom. His career steadily developed. Singing, dancing, acting, directing and costume play are things Barrie does like no other. One of his strengths is perseverance. It brought him to become one of the country’s best-known choreographers and theatre stars. This multi-talent appeared in musical productions such as Heerlijk duurt het langst and De Jantjes. He lights up as he talks about the past.
Ambassador
Did he hesitate before accepting the ambassadorship? ‘Not for a moment. I consider it a great honour. Finally I can give something back to the people who have supported me during the sixty years my career has now spanned.’ And who accepted him because of his homosexuality, he adds. ‘As a Pride ambassador I can offer one-to-one support to people and listen to their stories. I’d like to do that. I’m here for them.’
Dead
He speaks enthusiastically about his new play Dood aan zee which is based on the novel Death in Venice by the German writer Thomas Mann. ‘My partner Leen Jongewaard died 25 years ago this year. There is so much left unsaid. In this play I return to the place in southern France where he died and where I want to scatter his ashes.’ A kind of closure? Barrie thinks for a long moment. ‘Yes, yes. I see it as the end of a special chapter in my life. The story is told, it’s finished. It’s actually a mixture of truth and fiction. There I meet a handsome thirty-year-old man who works at the hotel where I’m staying. With him I build a deep bond.’ The well-known director Gerardjan Rijnders wrote the script. ‘I will perform it exclusively during Pride 2022.’ It will be a moving piece. Proudly he shows the theatre poster for the production. It features an angel statue with Leen’s face incorporated into it.’
Worries
He is currently worried about the rise in violence against LGBT+ people. ‘It’s not as free as it was fifty years ago. It’s still a struggle to be who you are. That makes me sad.’ He doesn’t feel the need to be on a boat during Canal Pride to do something for the LGBT community. ‘That’s not for me. But I’m open to everything else.’ He eagerly looks forward to Pride. ‘I can’t wait. After the years of corona we can finally live again,’ says Barrie. ‘It was a disaster. Every time we were ready for my solo show, a lockdown. It drove me mad.’
My Gender, My Pride
The theme My Gender, My Prideappeals to me. ‘It makes me reflect on my life, and confront how things have unfolded. Is it the wisdom of greyness?’ He falls silent. It has taken him sixty years to discover and accept that he is gay. He is happier than ever. ‘I have found the perfect balance in my life.’ No one can ignore Barrie any more.
Pride ambassador since 2022
