At school, he makes friends with a gifted, but sick boy called Dorus and Betje, a girl with abnormally low grades but a loving character, but also meets the unbearable bully Jantje.

Once an outgoing, lively boy, he is now a seemingly abnormally calm and thoughtful young fellow, which disturbs Bruis.

The case escalates when Jantje tackles Ciske as he tries to jump over the malt barges at the brewery, causing him to get stuck in the water and being severely injured.

The first film was issued in 1955, starring Dick Van der Velde as Ciske and Kees Brusse as the teacher Bruis.

Ciske is played by Danny de Munk who also sang the title song Ik voel me zo verdomd alleen ("I feel so damned alone") which scored a number one hit in the Netherlands.

The 1984 soundtrack features two songs from the film: Ik voel me zo verdomd alleen (composed by Herman van Veen, lyrics by Karin Loomans) and Vergeet nu maar je zorgen ("Now forget your worries"), which is played at the closing credits.

The musical was based on the 1984 film but added part of the storyline of the third book, switching back and forth between flashbacks to the events occurring in the 1930s and the days before the German invasion of the Netherlands in 1940.

Queen Beatrix of the Netherlands was present at the gala premiere at the Royal Theater Carré in Amsterdam.

The musical was staged again in 2016/2017, in a slightly modified version, once more directed by Paul Eenens and starring Danny de Munk.