Ewa Chojecka & Dookje Engelhard

The Black Angel is a music theatre production by Dookje Engelhard (known from Meiden van LOS) and Ewa Chojecka, exploring bi-cultural roots through songs by Ewa Demarczyk. Demarczyk is often called the Edith Piaf of Eastern Europe: she sang in Polish, French, Spanish and German, setting texts by Goethe and other literary giants. In Europe she was mentioned in the same breath as Piaf, Brel and Aznavour, yet remained virtually unknown in the Netherlands.

The production tells the personal story of Dutch-Polish Ewa Chojecka, who fled Poland to the Netherlands as a three-year-old in 1987 and lost touch with her homeland. She feels thoroughly Dutch, but as she grows older, she realizes she cannot leave her roots behind. Dookje Engelhard is her counterpoint: with Dutch pragmatism she stands in sharp contrast to Eastern European passion - or does she?

Through Demarczyk's music, visuals, true stories and sharp sketches, the makers attempt to bridge that gap. Along the way they also dissect the bureaucratic integration process, offering a glimpse into the life of a former refugee and seasoned Dutch citizen. The production combines humour with personal weight - a tone familiar to audiences of Meiden van LOS.

Dookje Engelhard (Amsterdam, 1981) studied music theatre at ArtEZ University for the Arts, where the cabaret formation Meiden van LOS was born. She performed with them for nearly seventeen years, more than a thousand times. She also created the music theatre production A Song in Return, which toured Oerol and international festivals. She composes, translates and writes scripts, serves as musical director for various ensembles including Orpheus' Show Apeldoorn, and works as a pianist with dance company Introdans.

Ewa Chojecka (Warsaw, 1984) studied cabaret at Studio Selma Susanna. She was the subject of the documentary From East to West (RVU) about her refugee past.