Kester Freriks visited TWAALF from PS Theater for Theaterkrant. The original article can be found here .
Interactive insight into the expectant lives of twelve-year-olds
Kester Freriks, November 9, 2023
The last primary school year in group 8, that is saying goodbye and choosing. Theatre makers Rian Evers and Brecht Hermans call it 'the leap of your life'. For the Leiden city company PS|theater they followed four primary school pupils for a few months in that decisive year. The interactive performance that resulted from this is called Twaalf , played in an entourage that looks a lot like a real classroom.
The performance takes place in the Makerscentrale on the Langegracht, in the former Stadsbouwhuis. A rather cold office space on the ground floor has been converted into a theatre hall. Creators and actors Evers and Hermans (originally Belgian) present the theatrical documentary Twaalf as part of the series Wij, de stad (We, the city), which will later be followed by Zestien and Eenentwintig (Twenty-one), a triptych about crucial ages that are related to opportunities in education.
Various stages are scattered here and there, just like those in classrooms. The two spoke extensively with children such as Isa, Diza, William and their parents. What they tell us about their class and classmates, the teachers, their hobbies, friends and girlfriends, we hear via tape recordings. These stories are interspersed with Evers and Hermans' own memories, including how the school bell sounds, both the siren-like electric bell and the old-fashioned, analogue jingle bell.
In the final direction by Tijs Huys, this variation could have been more pronounced. In the beginning it is exciting, because parallel stories arise, but gradually that rhythm fades. Then the emphasis is mainly on the upcoming 'bridge-piepers' (although that word is not used). It is nice that we as spectators get a glimpse into the expectant life of these children on the eve of major events in their lives.
School choice is essential. Because Twaalf is mainly a Leiden affair, names such as Agora College, which mainly offers students 'challenges', the Vlietland College or the Teylingen College Duinzigt come to mind. Each type of school has its own views on education.
The interactive aspect is addressed in the joint creation of the Cito test by parents and children. Hermans encourages everyone not to get stressed and to inhale 'forest scent' and exhale tension. As if we were in a real classroom, cheating and chatting is out of the question. The test with multiple choice questions is about, among other things, the shortage of teachers and the distribution of education. These are extremely current topics that are given a striking explanation by the creators after completion.
Not every teacher is convinced of the significance of the test and what it says about future school choices. An experienced teacher, Willem, is given the floor and explains in detail via a tape recording why it doesn't work. But unfortunately, his text is turned away by Evers after a few sentences and she takes the floor herself, while he still seems to have a lot of interesting things to say. That is a weak and not very respectful moment: two voices are messily mixed up.
It is clever to give the final musical and the school camp a prominent place. These are the last highlights of the primary school year. The performance promises in the flyer to go into the contrast between privileged and disadvantaged in education, but that is not really what Twaalf is about; that will probably come later. At the end, both the children and the parents say goodbye to a life at primary school, and that provides moving moments. There is waving and saying 'bye' and 'goodbye'. Parents know via WhatsApp whether the children have arrived safely at school. Books are bought and new book shelves are built in the students' rooms by loving parents. A new era is dawning.
Photo: Ben van Duin
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