Rob van de Meeberg: actor, comedian, singer, director, writer.
In 1966 he started in the Jaap van de Merwe literary cabaret Olifant met lange snuit together with Frits Lambrechts. A year later he joined Toneelgroep Centrum and played in Mann ist Mann of Bertold Brecht and The Peace of Aristhophanes, switched to Toneelgroep Terzijde of Annemarie Prins and played Fiesta, a performance about Spain under Franco, with the famous jazz musicians William Breuker and Han Bennink. Then he started his own famous cabaret group Honoloeloe with performances like Gieren op een eiland and Leuke vent. After a free production on Marinus van der Lubbe and Reichstag Fire, Rob landed at Toneelgroep Sater. There Rob worked closely with Joost Boer and together they formed the artistic management. For Sater he wrote the musical theater productions Verkilling, about the cold war, and The Emotional Plague, about life and work of Wilhelm Reich; music by Henk Alkema. After several years teaching at the Amsterdam Academy for Cabaret, Rob made the step to musical. He played Old Deuteronomy in Cats, Herman in Sweet Charity, MacLeod in Mata Hari, Alfred Hitchcock in Grace the Musical, and various roles in many youth and family musicals.
As director he worked closely with writer Ivo de Wijs and composer Joop Stokkermans. This trinity made for the Musical Youth Foundation Amsterdam beautiful productions as Bons, Feest, and Ik wil hier weg!.
He then made very special productions for the Amsterdam Cabaret Festival like Ken Kan (on Wim Kan), "Oh, Johnny (on Johnny Jordaan), and Een Stukkie (on Simon Carmiggelt). And with Vera Mann In the shadow of Brel about the legendary Jacques Brel. In 2005 there was a remake of Ken Kan together with "‘his’ Corry: Annemarie Henselmans.
The press about Ken Kan: ‘Rob van de Meeberg approximates the physiognomy of Wim Kan and is also in timbre of speech very close to the original. It is often confusing who is who!’ And about Oh, Johnny: ‘The star of the show is clearly Rob van de Meeberg.’ ‘Virtuoso performance of Rob van de Meeberg.’
Rob played in television series such as Time Life, Villa Borghese, Oud geld and for three years in the multicultural comedy Shouf shouf, starring as the popular neighbour Boerman. He also played in movies such as Madelief and The Discovery of Heaven.
Rob ‘loaned’ his voice to various cartoons, including the Harry Potter movies and recently Avatar and Zombie Hotel.
In 2000 he directed his first feature film in Ghana, Kofi and Cocoa, a Musch and Tinbergen production.
In 2001 Rob translated The Flying Dutchman (about the life of Cornelis Vreeswijk) for Jules Croiset from Swedish into The Troubadour of IJmuiden and signed for the direction concept.
In 2001/2002 he played Alfred Hitchcock in the musical Grace; music by the famous composer Cy Coleman, by whom he was invited for a performance in January 2002 in the Valhalla of each artist: Carnegie Hall.
In 2002 he played in 't Schaep met de 5 Pooten, a musical written by Lars Boom, based on the famous television series of Eli Asser. (Production: Evert de Vries.)
In 2003 and 2004 Rob played with Vera Mann in In de schaduw van Brel (In the Shadow of Brel), unanimously acclaimed by the press. For that they received the John Kraaykamp Musical Award 2004.
In 2004 release of his solo CD Een kras in de tijd (A Scratch in Time).
In 2005 he played with Miranda van Kralingen and Marjolijn Touw Dobbe Dobbe Dobbe, about songwriter Guus Vleugel, produced by Opus One.
In 2005/2006 Ken Kan 2 unanimously acclaimed performance with Annemarie Henselmans. Accompanied by virtuoso Eddy van Damme. (Production: Frans van Bronkhorst.)
In 2006/2007 he was the alternate of Ernst Daniel Smith in La vie Parissienne of Jacques Offenbach.
In 2007 he played the role of Beethoven in a production of the Tindalstichting.
In 2008/2009 he played Zeus in the succesfull musical theater production Hera of Martin van Dijk, Flip Broekman and Jan Boerstoel with Arjan Ederveen, Waldemar Torenstra and Vera Mann. (Production: Hummelinck Stuurman.)
2009/10 A musical revue tour for the 60th anniversary of De Zonnebloem with Danny de Munck, Lucy de Lange and Henk Poort. Directed by Brigitte Odett.
2010 Coaching of Jan van Maanen, winner of the trophy called ‘de Wim Sonneveldprijs’ and public award.
2011 Revival of In de schaduw van Brel with Vera Mann, Martin van Dijk and Christiaan van Hemert. Directed by Marcel Sijm. Tour scheduling: De Graaf en Cornelissen.
2011/12 Dat hakt er in, zeg! Topical theater production with Martin van Dijk, Evert de Vries. Production: Paul Kaptein producties.
2012 The King's Speech. First performance: September 2012. Theatergroep Nomade, Ab Gietelink. Roles: Churchill and George V. Production: Impact Entertainment (Ruud de Graaf).
2012/2013 De Getergde Mannen with: ‘Dat hakt er in, zeg!’
2013 Direction De slag om de Beerenburcht with Rients Gratama, Freark Smink, Joop Wittermans. Staging/direction assistention: Vera van de Meeberg.
2013/2014 De Getergde Mannen with: ‘Dat hakt er in, zeg!’
2014 Direction Tandem with Liesbeth List and Annemarie Oster.
2014/2015 De Getergde Mannen with: ‘Dat hakt er in, zeg!’ With Martin van Dijk and Evert de Vries.
2015/2016 Willem Ruis, de show van zijn leven.
2016 Kerstfeest in de Jordaan with Marjolijn Touw.
2017 Wo ahin soll Ich geh'n?, about Leo Fuld, with Rosa Mee. Direction Evert de Vries.