What the Ajax stadium is to Swart, Carré is to cabaretier Van ’t Hek. A warm home. A familiar and inspiring environment where an artist rises to greatness. Sjaak Swart made history with his fellow Ajacieden in the greatest and most famous football theatres. Youp van ’t Hek, in turn, brought down Carré hundreds of times. The Amsterdam theatre can rival the Johan Cruijff ArenA in its pulling power; both are the ultimate stages in their respective worlds. They are halls of honour for the most gifted, whether wearing football boots or treading the boards.
After a glittering career, Van ’t Hek has been retired as a cabaretier since last year. The stage artist entertained countless audiences, not least with his famous New Year’s Eve shows. But for 'his absolute Ajax hero' Van ’t Hek stepped back onto the stage one more time.
With a wink
"An old comic, who said farewell last year, takes to the stage again in Carré, and we can safely say, it’s not going well," Van ’t Hek opened his performance with a wink. At 71, the cabaret artist showed he had lost none of his sharpness. "Back then, I performed to sold-out theatres, and now there’s just one lonely 87-year-old in the audience. And what an 87-year-old. A man who is anything but old. A man for whom the greatest insult is to call him elderly. A man who not so long ago was still kicking a rondo with his mates at Zeeburgia."
Van ’t Hek continued with a declaration of love to Mister Ajax. "A man who is my absolute Ajax hero, because he cheered up my youth, and not just mine, but that of the whole of Amsterdam, with crosses, goals, championships, Dutch Cups and three European Cups. I belong to the fortunate generation that saw the Golden Ajax play. Live in De Meer and in the Olympic Stadium. (…) But my God, Sjaak, how I enjoyed you and that golden team. (…) You and your teammates made boys dream, Sjaak.”
Royal Box
Swart, who holds the record with 603 official appearances for Ajax 1, has also been to Carré "dozens of times", often to see his friend Van ’t Hek perform. Cosily settled in the Royal Box, Mister Ajax visibly enjoyed the personal tribute from his fan.
After tributes from physiotherapist (and Golden Ajax talisman) Salo Muller, memories of the Mist Match, and the first European Cup final in 1969, Van ’t Hek shared an anecdote about a visit by some hundred Lucky Ajacieden to one of his shows. He then returned to the present and concluded: "What moves me most is that 54 years ago, as a 17-year-old boy, I didn’t know that on an ordinary weekday I would one day be able to talk about my hero. In Carré, not empty but packed with memories. For me, this Carré is sold out. Completely sold out. (…) I am proud I was allowed to do this. And I promise you: in 25 years I’ll be back here again. And if you wonder how I got here: well, I had to come this way anyway."
The unique performance by Van ’t Hek touched Swart deeply, as was clear backstage afterwards. Mister Ajax was moved, and how could he not be? What followed was a loving embrace between two Ajacieden. Now, both look ahead to the next mini-conference, 25 years from now, in Carré.
