Operation Hellfire

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The reaction from Washington follows with lightning speed. The American Service-Members' Protection Act is activated: a law that protects Americans by all means from prosecution by the International Criminal Court (ICC). Even if that means an attack on the Netherlands. The ICC refuses to budge. Tension is rising, the world is watching, the pressure on The Hague is increasing. How far does the Netherlands dare to go to defend peace and justice?

This 'cannot' be true
With Operation Hellfire , director Eric de Vroedt creates a political satire in which law, power and morality clash hard. A 'what-if' that comes frighteningly close to reality. You will check Soumaya Ahouaoui, Gustav Borreman, Tamar van den Dop, Jouman Fattal, Hein van der Heijden, Yamill Jones, Yela de Koning, Rick Paul van Mulligen, Mika Peeters and Emilio Pramatarov.

Director Eric de Vroedt: "Just when the international world order seems to be tottering, we have to ask ourselves: how fair is international law really? And does it work equally well for everyone?"

The Hague Invasion Act
Even in reality, America does not recognize the ICC's jurisdiction and therefore refuses to cooperate with investigations. Upon its establishment in 2002, America responded with a striking law: the American Service Members' Protection Act. That law gives the U.S. president the right to use "all means necessary and appropriate" to free Americans or their allies on trial at the Criminal Court in The Hague. Popularly, therefore, the law was nicknamed "The Hague Invasion Act."

For more than 100 years, people in The Hague have past event working on international law and there are about 500 international organizations in the city. The Hague therefore calls itself "the international city of peace and justice. In Operation Hellfire , writers Joeri Heegstra and Max Wind pose the question: how far is the Netherlands willing to go to live up to those ideals?

• The blind and visually impaired can listen to the audio introduction at home in preparation. There is also a stimulus guide available. You can find them on the website of Het Nationale Theater.
• Would you like to read along with what is said on play? With these performances we offer smart glasses. You can use the glasses to read along with what is being said on play. The glasses display real-time subtitles of the text spoken by the actors. We are introducing this new technology and doing our best to make it a valuable experience. We have a limited number of glasses available. When buying your ticket, you can select the option.
• In Operation Hellfire it uses loud sound, flashing lights and fake weapons.

The media about Operation Hellfire
"The scenes change quickly, from political crisis deliberations to court moments and media circus. This creates a fast pace, but also a sense of chaos - exactly fitting for the story. At the same time, there is a sharp, sometimes almost wry humor in it that makes the whole thing even more confronting. But that is precisely why it is so impressive." (I Love Theater ★★★★★)
"Catchy performance holds up a mirror to us about bland Dutch symbol politics." (Theaterkrant)
"Wind and Heegstra impress with sharp dialogues full of clever humor." (Volkskrant)