Robert Jan Stips

Theater de Stoomfabriek is a theatre in Dalfsen, a town in the Dutch province of Overijssel. Its name, which translates as the steam factory, points to the building's industrial origins, though the sources available here do not go into the history of the site or its conversion into a performance space. What the programme history does show is a venue that draws classical and chamber music of a fairly specialised kind. It has appeared as a stop on tours by Ensemble Jupiter, whose Dowland journey marked the 400th anniversary of the lute composer's death. It has also hosted dates for the Amsterdam Sinfonietta on its tour with Rufus Wainwright, which places it among the Dutch regional theatres that book touring ensembles alongside larger concert halls. A fortepiano duo recital of Beethoven works, with violinist Shunske Sato and pianist Shuann Chai, has been listed there as well. The programming is not limited to the established repertoire. The Davidsbündler Music Academy has held a concert at the theatre as part of its educational activities, and the venue has been the setting for a project involving carillon, presented by the Vaktor makers' house with pay what you can ticketing. That mix of touring chamber groups, academy concerts and experimental or community minded projects suggests a room used by both visiting professionals and local cultural initiatives. For concert goers in the Zwolle and Salland area, it offers a place to hear early music, string and piano repertoire and orchestral touring programmes without travelling to the larger cities.