Actor, presenter, and writer Eric Corton will star in the solo performance *Pa* starting in January 2026. Production company Solo Stories announced this today; the company is celebrating its 10th anniversary with the *
* performance. In 2018, Corton performed the Solo Stories monologue Ma 110 times, based on the book by Hugo Borst, a portrait of his mother suffering from dementia. Now, the Ma team is joining forces once again to create Pa, a theater production that offers a glimpse into the mind of someone with dementia and their surroundings.
In the Netherlands, 1 in 5 people develops dementia. Currently, 310,000 people have dementia; this number is expected to rise to over 610,000 by 2050. Pa will be performed 88 times in Dutch theaters from January through June 2026. Theaters will begin ticket sales this month and next.
Eric Corton: “After the Ma tour and my father’s passing in 2022, dementia has never really left my mind. I started working in elder care and have since been even closer to people living with dementia. People, each with their own story and life journey, over which they have lost control due to this brutal disease. I’m clearly not done with this yet and will pour everything I have into this special performance. A performance that feels above all like an ode to imagination and life.”
Director Benno Hoogveld: “For our anniversary year, we asked ourselves which production had likely made the biggest impact. It must have been *Ma*, which Eric performed so many times and which the press and audiences were so enthusiastic about. We received feedback from theatergoers—often loved ones of people with dementia and informal caregivers—that they felt so supported and seen. Especially now that Eric and I have lost our fathers to this tragic disease, and scriptwriter Marc has just lost his neighbor, for whom he was an informal caregiver, we feel the need to share our experiences in a new production. Alzheimer’s turns people into patients; it’s often hard to keep seeing the person behind the disease. In Pa, we make space for the person who was there and still is, despite the dementia.”
About Pa | Pa is looking for his guitar because he has to go on stage soon. He can’t just let his fans down, can he? And his band is already waiting at Schiphol Airport. But why is his roadie suddenly calling him “Pa”?
With the solo performance *Pa*, starring Eric Corton (who also plays guitar!), Solo Stories is celebrating its 10th anniversary. To once again draw attention to the hundreds of thousands of people living with dementia and their caregivers, the creators of *Ma* are presenting an entirely new performance on this topic.
A moving, witty, and musical story about a father who embarks on a fascinating journey through his own reality. *Pa* is produced by the team behind solo performances such as *Ma*, *Nu ik je zie*, and *’t Hooge Nest*. The production is directed by Benno Hoogveld, with the script written by Marc Veerkamp. The production is created in collaboration with Alzheimer Nederland.
About Solo Stories | Solo Stories is a Dutch production company specializing in monologues; it develops and performs solo shows based on personal, true stories. In addition to *Ma*, Solo Stories has previously produced *Nu ik je zie* (based on the book by Merlijn Kamerling, performed by Soy Kroon) and *’t Hooge Nest* (based on the book by Roxane van Iperen, performed by Fockeline Ouwerkerk).
For more information, visit www.solostories.nl.
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