Theater Bellevue: Theater in Leidseplein, Amsterdam

★★★★★ 4.7

Theater Bellevue is a three-room theatre on the Leidsekade in the centre of Amsterdam, a short walk from the Leidseplein. You go for theatre, cabaret, spoken word and storytelling, and not only in the evening: there are shows at lunchtime and in the late afternoon too. The programme brings together theatre makers, writers, spoken word artists, cabaret performers and storytellers across the three spaces, from the Grote Zaal down to the small Speakeasy. One stage is used for modern theatre, dance and music, one for cabaret, and one for short literary performances of up to an hour. De Smoeshaan, the theatre café and restaurant, is at the front of the building, on the Leidsekade. The building goes back to around 1840, when it housed two societies, Concordia for men only and Bellevue, which also admitted women and children. The writer Jacob van Lennep chaired the latter. In December 1935 the last game of the world chess championship was played here, the game that made Max Euwe champion. Television moved in during the 1960s, and the first seasons of Toppop were recorded here from 1970. Toneelgroep Centrum took over in 1975, and the theatre has operated on its own since its partner, the Nieuwe de la Mar, closed in 2006. Trams 1, 2, 5, 7, 11, 12 and 19 stop at Leidseplein, as do buses 347, 357 and 397. Bike parking is at the quay or in the guarded garage under the Leidseplein, open round the clock, and e-bike batteries may not come inside. The Grote Zaal has numbered seats, while Klein Bellevue and the Paloni Zaal are unreserved. Hall doors open just before the start, and once a show has begun you can no longer go in. You can take a drink into the hall from De Smoeshaan, the theatre cafe with a sunny terrace on the water. The cloakroom in the lower foyer is unstaffed. The minimum age for adult shows is nine.