Johan Doesburg

Johan Doesburg
Born	Johannes Theodorus Doesburg (1955-05-12)12 May 1955 The Hague, Netherlands
Died	24 January 2025(2025-01-24) (aged 69) The Hague, Netherlands
Nationality	Dutch
Occupation	theatre director

Johannes Theodorus "Johan" Doesburg (12 May 1955 – 24 January 2025) was a Dutch theatre director.

Biography

Doesburg studied at the Academy of Theatre and Dance where he graduated in 1988. Between 1988 and 1994 Doesburg worked for among others Teneeter and Toneelgroep Amsterdam. In 1993 Doesburg started at the Het Nationale Toneel, with Decadence by Steven Berkoff. A year later he became here an artistic director, a position he that was succeeded by Theu Boermans in 2011.

At the National Theatre, Doesburg directed numerous classical and modern plays, including Hamlet (William Shakespeare, 1988), Blasted (Sarah Kane, 1999), King Lear (Shakespeare, 2001), and book adaptations such as Elementaire Deeltjes (based on the novel of the same name by 'Michel Houellebecq, 2005) and Tirza (based on the novel by Arnon Grunberg, 2010). His directing is characterized by meticulous choreography, quickly edited scenes, minimalist scenography and a blackly humorous view of human tragedy. Doesburg said goodbye to the National Theatre in 2015 with the play Genesis and was appointed Knight in the Order of the Netherlands Lion upon his departure.

He started working in the private sector at DeLaMar. With Senf Theaterproducties he directed Judas.

Doesburg died in The Hague on 24 January 2025, at the age of 69. He suffered from lung cancer and chose euthanasia.