Theater Stap

Theater Stap is a professional theatre company based in Turnhout, Belgium, where every actor on stage lives with an intellectual disability. The company is headquartered at Brugstraat 55 in Turnhout, and its roots go back to 1983, when the initiative began at the De Warande cultural centre. The group in its current form was established in 1985 as a research project exploring whether performers with intellectual disabilities could create theatre at a genuinely professional artistic level.

What makes Theater Stap distinctive?

The company's guiding idea is that actors with intellectual disabilities bring qualities capable of moving any audience, regardless of whether spectators are familiar with this particular approach to theatre-making beforehand. Theater Stap works closely with Dagcentrum Kasteel, a day centre that provides the actors with the framework they need to develop their craft outside of rehearsals and performances themselves.

Productions from Theater Stap are staged not only across Flanders but also tour abroad, reflecting the recognition the company has earned within the wider professional theatre world.

Where does Theater Stap's wider fame come from?

The company became widely known across Flanders through the television series "Tytgat Chocolat," a seven-part drama that aired on the Flemish channel Eén in the autumn of 2017. Most of the leading roles were played by Theater Stap's own actors. The idea for the series dates back to 2006, when director Filip Lenaerts visited the company and formed a connection with its artistic director, Marc Bryssinck. The series went on to win critical acclaim, including an award for Best International Fiction Series in Europe.

How does Theater Stap mark its anniversaries?

In 2025 the company celebrated its 40th anniversary. To mark the occasion, Theater Stap unveiled a new logo and launched an entirely new website, and published an anniversary book titled "Van Medea tot Korea," collecting stories and anecdotes from four decades of the company's history. The anniversary year also coincided with rehearsals for a new production of "Carmen," created in collaboration with Compagnie Lodewijk/Louis and set to premiere in October 2025 — a fitting tie-in, since the opera "Carmen" itself was first performed 150 years earlier.

Frequently asked questions

Where is Theater Stap located? The company is based in Turnhout, at Brugstraat 55, in Belgium's Antwerp province.

When was Theater Stap founded? The company in its current form was founded in 1985, though its roots trace back to 1983 and activity at the De Warande centre in Turnhout.

What is Theater Stap best known for internationally? Its widest recognition came from the 2017 television series "Tytgat Chocolat," featuring Theater Stap's own actors in leading roles, which won the award for Best International Fiction Series in Europe.

Do audiences need prior familiarity with inclusive theatre to enjoy a Theater Stap performance? No — the company's own philosophy holds that its performances are designed to move any audience through the strength of the production itself, whether or not viewers have previous exposure to theatre made with actors who have intellectual disabilities.