THE CUNNING LITTLE VIXEN, NEDERLANDSE REISOPERA, 2026
Costume design for “Het Sluwe Vosje”, composed by Leoš Janáček in a dutch version of Jibbe Willems.
Music: Pieter-Jelle de Boer
Director: Rennik-Jan NeggersStage Design: Sebastian Hannak
Light Design: Alex Brok
Movement Director: Virág Dezsö
Photos: Marco Borggreve
Press:
“That imaginary world became even more realistic when the animals of the forest allowed themselves to be seen one by one. Costume designer Sarah Mittenbühler had performed miracles. No fox was the same and you recognised the characters of, for example, the loggy frog and the shy grasshopper.”
“The Dutch language is effective, but not exactly fairytale. That is more than made up for by the animal costumes of Sarah Mittenbühler (…).”
“(…) the animal world is a feast for the eyes: very stylised and yet playful. During the prelude to the first act, all the animals make their appearance for a moment, as if they want to show how beautiful they are (…)”
“Travel opera turns the cunning fox into an eye-pelling fairytale, with unmatched chickens”
“(…) Sarah Mittenbühler designed particularly beautiful costumes. Like the bright green frog, whose mouth opens and closes lifelike; the badger, who impresses with his loosely falling fur and black stripe over his head, or the grasshopper who scares you with his oversized feelers. Unsurpassed are the chickens, who could have escaped from Janáček’s own run with their red shoes, white thulen plumage and red lellen, partly thanks to the jerky movements that Virág Dezsö makes them perform. Also beautiful are the hoop-skirt-like appearances of the wife of the Forester and the innkeeper, which almost completely prevent them from walking. Perhaps intended as a subtle reference to their unfree position in a male-dominated world. They all wear a bigger or smaller bun in their hair and just a little too loose suits.”
“In the first act, the animals appeared in beautifully crafted imitation costumes — frogs, grasshoppers, badgers, crickets, and more. Designed by Sarah Mittenbühler and skillfully brought to life by the Travel Opera’s workshop, these costumes are a key part of the production’s success, showcasing its boundless visual imagination. The hilarious chicken scene, in particular, took on the elegance of a classical ballet, thanks to the brilliance of the costume design.”
