Acting the Maggot

Calypso Theater is a small theater in the centre of Wijk bij Duurstede, a town in the province of Utrecht. It sits right across from the tourist information office, which makes it easy to find for anyone exploring the old town. Visitors describe it as a charming local venue, and it combines two roles that often go together in smaller Dutch towns: it screens films and it hosts live performances. The programme on the stage is varied. Touring bands and theater productions play here, and the room has seen sold out evenings, including a night by an Irish folk act that had the audience singing, clapping and dancing along. International visitors also turn up, with groups from abroad listing the venue on their tour schedules and a Dutch theater company using it as one of its stops on a run of shows through the winter and spring months. Blues is a notable strand of the programming. The Calypso Theater is connected to the Blues in Wijk series, and in 2026 its stage is set to host a line up of top musicians from Belgium and the Netherlands, among them Richard van Bergen. For a venue of this size, that places it on the circuit for roots and blues players as well as for folk, theater and film audiences. The setting is intimate rather than grand, so performers and audience tend to be close together, which suits the acoustic and band driven acts that play here. Reviewers on travel sites rate it well, and its central position means a visit easily fits into an afternoon or evening in town.