Mata Hari Returns

Mata Hari Returns brings the story of the famous Dutch dancer and alleged spy into the present through music, theatre and an imagined meeting between Mata Hari and her daughter Nonnie.

Born Margaretha Zelle 150 years ago, Mata Hari became one of the most famous women of her time, but much of what survives is shaped by stories of seduction, espionage and betrayal. Writer Melissa Knollenburg and director Nita Kersten approach her life from a female perspective, questioning how reputation and public judgement can shape the way a woman is remembered.

In the production, Mata Hari, played by Kyra Bououargane, is reunited after death with her daughter Nonnie, played by Ezra Koppejan. Nonnie barely knew her mother and largely formed her image through what others wrote about her. Their fictional encounter becomes a conversation about motherhood, loss, freedom, identity and the stories passed from one generation of women to another.

Live music combines percussion, electronics, electric guitar and bass as the story travels from Mata Hari's childhood in Leeuwarden and her years in the former Dutch East Indies to her international fame and execution in France during the First World War. Before the performance, visitors can explore a travelling pop-up exhibition developed with Museum Huis Doorn and the Fries Museum, placing her life in its historical and social context.

Event: Mata Hari Returns
Company: Tafel van Vijf Muziektheater
Date: Thursday 28 January 2027
Start: 19:00
Location: Maaspodium, Rotterdam
Genre: Music theatre
Language: Dutch