'Hitler is dood' is a production by music and theatre company Braakland/ZheBilding and theatre company 't Arsenaal. The play takes place during the Neurenberg trial in 1945-1946, where twentysome heads of the Nazi regime are tried before the international court. The author interweaves meetings with victors, a sad love affair between the prosecutor and a journalist, and confrontations between the accused, amongst which Hermann Goering and Albert Speer. The jury notes: 'It is brilliant how Stijn Devillé managed to write a clear and accessible play on the basis of his intensive research, while providing insight in one of the most important trials of the twentieth century and raising questions about the black and white thinking of winners and losers, good and bad, goats and sheep. This is essential theatre which both impressed and touched us.'
The other nominees were Peter De Graef for 'Zoals de dingen gaan...' (As things go..) and Johan Heldenbergh and Mieke Dobbels for 'The Broken Circle Breakdown featuring The Cover-ups of Alabama'.
The Dutch-Flemish jury consisted of playwright and editor Cecile Brommer, actress Chris Thys and director Erik Whien.
The students of three theatre institutes (in Antwerp, Gent and Utrecht) also got to read the nominated texts and picked 'The Broken Circle Breakdown featuring The Cover-ups of Alabama'.
The Taalunie Toneelschrijfprijs is a yearly prize which is awarded to a writer of an original Dutch-language theatre play. The premiere of the play must have taken place during the previous season. The award ceremony was organised by the Taalunie in collaboration with Schrijverspodium, the Flemish Literature Fund, the Dutch Theatre Institute and the city of Antwerp.
