From 6000 archival pieces to a book, an interactive website, and live presentations: the story of Louisette has been made visible again to a broad audience. Our producer Danny van Zuijlen published his book 'The Star of the Revue' on October 20, 2025: a non-fiction story about the exceptional life of revue star Louisette (1882–1965). Studio Immersief sponsored this publication, which revolves around Danny's search for a woman who once filled venues but later nearly disappeared from our collective memory.
"The history of Louisette is worth telling."
Biography portal
"First of all, a deep bow to Van Zuijlen. As a passionate theater historian, he has admirably struggled through a series of domestic and international archives, both physically and online."
Theater newspaper
The discovery: 6000 archive pieces
A few years ago, Danny stumbled upon an unprecedented treasure in the City Archives of Amsterdam: over 6000 digitized documents of Louisette - letters, contracts, notebooks, scrapbooks, and sheet music. Her archive was incorporated into the archive in 1962 via the Public Health Service, following a significant intervention in her home. This marked the beginning of the reconstruction of a life that reads like a novel.
From bitter poverty in Amsterdam's Nes to Broadway star: Louisa van Gijtenbeek – stage name Louisette - lived the impossible. Working as a housekeeper for a famous variety comedian, she seized her chance when he discovered her. A glorious career followed, with sold-out performances in Carré to an audience fit for royalty in Dutch-Indies and a spectacular tour through America. Until the fate struck during World War II. After that, Louisette lost her shine and transformed from a star into a paranoid old woman.
Smart accessibility: from archive to public
Since the archive material was much more extensive than what fits in a book, a transmedia approach was chosen: the book serves as the main product, while the website is the interactive extension.
At www.louisette.nl, additional material is provided that is difficult to showcase in print, such as photos, films, songs, and extra background stories. The site is designed as an exploration: visitors scroll through the material and follow Louisette's story through images, text, and sound.
The digitized archival material used on the website is copyright-free. This way, exceptional heritage is not only preserved but also genuinely shared: it "crosses the threshold of the archive" and reaches a broader audience.
New context: show dresses in the Allard Pierson
In addition to existing material, the website offers new context to Louisette's time and appearance. In the Allard Pierson, Theater Collection, there are several revue dresses from 1910 belonging to Louisette. These dresses were transferred to the Theater Institute after she was admitted to a nursing home. Due to years of good preservation, the dresses say a lot about the period in which Louisette wore them. Photos from the performances are also known, so we know how they were worn during the show.
Danny created a mini-documentary about this and spoke with an archivist about the dresses, their origins, and significance.
This mini-documentary not only enlarges the story surrounding Louisette but also makes visible what archival work entails: how and why material is preserved, what it tells, and why it is essential to continue sharing it.
Research in practice
Research and preservation of thousands of pages of digitized archival material from Dutch archives, including City Archives Amsterdam, EYE Film Museum, Jewish Historical Museum, Royal Library/Delpher, National Archive, and Leiden University
Research and evaluation of thousands of pages of digitized archival material from international archives, including Arolsen Archives - International Center on Nazi Persecution (Germany), Brussels City Archive (Belgium), The Shubert Archive (USA), The University of Iowa (USA)
Linkage of sources to data via open linked data, and converting information into a biographical timeline
Oral history interviews and research in private collections.
Research in practice
Publication: The star of the revue (20-10-2025), paperback, 192 pages, ISBN 9789464561463, publisher Walburg Pers.
Book sales: now in its 2nd edition.
Media attention valued at approximately €45,000.-:
- Interviews in/with Radio 1, PLUS Magazine, and De Telegraaf, Spotlights (NCRV)
- Reviews in Book Supplement, Theater Power, Biography Portal
- Performances/presentation at City Archives Amsterdam, EYE, Torpedo TheaterOnline extension: the interactive website www.louisette.nl with additional archival material and background information (photos, films, and songs). - Reach: > 4300 unique visitors
Playlist: a corresponding playlist on YouTube.Credits
Credits
Author & Research: Danny van Zuijlen
Editorial: Liesbeth Vries
Dramaturgy: Suzanna Jansen
Publisher: Walburg Pers
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