NOVASTAR

The Hoftheater sits at Voorhof 2 in Raalte, in the Dutch province of Overijssel. It opened in 1970 as part of a psychiatric hospital, built with integration projects for the hospital's patients in mind. That origin sets it apart from most Dutch concert halls, which began life as purpose built music venues, cultural centres or converted industrial buildings. Here, the stage grew out of a care setting, and the building itself is a round theatre, a shape that has been kept through later technical updates, including a lighting installation carried out by the company Rolight. Over the decades the room has moved well beyond its original purpose and now works as a concert venue with a broad musical range. Listings for the venue span pop, world music, blues and folk, and the programme has included acts such as Novastar, 3JS, Tangarine, Rapalje, Mell and Vintage Future, the Bluebirds and the blues performer Phil Bee. Dutch language pop and roots oriented groups sit alongside international touring artists, which gives the calendar a mix of regional and wider appeal. It is also a stop for artists travelling with larger ensembles, as shown by a Dutch tour that featured a visiting singer backed by an eleven piece band. The theatre is run by a foundation, Stichting Hof Theater, which is the name under which it appears on several concert listing sites. Its location in Raalte, a town away from the main Dutch concert circuits of Amsterdam, Utrecht and Rotterdam, makes it a local and regional venue, one where touring acts play to audiences in the eastern part of the country. The circular auditorium and its hospital grounds setting give an evening there a different feel from the typical club or hall.