'Vincent the musical' to mark 125 years since Van Gogh's death

The role of Van Gogh has not yet been cast but the production will be directed by Dutch producer Albert Verlinde

THE HAGUE: The tragic life of Vincent van Gogh will be brought to the stage as a musical to mark 125 from the death of one of the world's greatest artists, organisers said Tuesday.

Simply called "Vincent", the musical will open late next year along with several other events commemorating the Dutch Post-Impressionist painter's death in July 1890.

The production aims to "bring Vincent van Gogh's works to life in a non-traditional way," Martine Willekens, spokesperson for the Van Gogh Europe Foundation, told AFP.

Known for his bold colours and rough, vibrant painting style, Van Gough was one of the most revolutionary painters of the 19th Century.

He only sold one painting in his own short lifetime, which was wracked with bouts of mental illness and depression, including one famous episode where he sliced off part of his ear.

The role of Van Gogh himself has not yet been cast but the production will be directed by Dutch producer Albert Verlinde.

It is commonly believed that Van Gogh shot himself aged 37 in a small village near Paris, although researchers have also put forward theories that he may have been the victim of an accidental shooting.

"It's perhaps a little odd to celebrate his death," Amsterdam's Van Gogh Museum director Axel Rueger told the Dutch news agency ANP.

"But over the years the artist has become a global celebrity, a kind of rock star," he said.

Next year's celebration, called "125 Years of Inspiration", will also include an exhibition of Van Gogh's paintings in Amsterdam and that of Norway's Edvard Munch, best known for his painting "The Scream".