The Vilvoorde Company Theater from A to Z has created a contemporary theater version of the poetic piece The little Princein which both Dutch and some French are spoken, at primary school level. The little Prince will be played for three years in cultural centers and primary schools throughout the country.
The little Prince by Antoine de Saint-Exupéry is the story of a pilot who meets a special boy, the Little Prince, after an emergency landing in the desert. He tells the pilot about the planet he lives on, other planets he visited and their strange habits. The philosophical story exposes the peculiarities of humanity. ‘The Little Prince’ shows the childlike simplicity that adults seem to forget as they grow up.
This modern fairy tale is 80 years old and widely loved. It has been translated into more than 400 languages and the book remains a worldwide bestseller. This version of Theater from A to Z is intended for primary school, both for Dutch-speaking and non-Dutch speaking children who are learning Dutch.
Two actors
The premiere will now take place on Friday, November 10 in the urban primary school De Kastanjelaar in Vilvoorde. The company consciously chose this. “We often perform our plays in cultural centers, but also in schools,” says daily manager Peter Schoenaerts of Theater van A to Z. “In this way we really bring culture to our audience, who would otherwise not come into contact with it. ”
Theater from A to Z presents the play with two actors: an actress who The little Prince plays and an actor who takes care of all other roles. The rehearsals took place with four actors, who could alternate.
Lots of humor
“We have The little Prince a French-speaking boy who finds his way in a Dutch-speaking world,” says director Rudy Goes. “First of all, we create a link with the original French story. But nowadays many children also have a diverse cultural background, and so they can relate The little Prince identify. We wanted to stay close to the original story and we succeeded. The themes in the piece are sometimes quite philosophical, while still maintaining a certain lightness. There is also a lot of humor in it, which will certainly appeal to the children.”
Theater from A to Z always works for special target groups and emphasizes inclusion and diversity. They have already created theater productions for blind people, toddlers and non-native speakers. Since 2016 they have presented almost 1,000 performances. ‘Theater from A to Z’ has also played in the Netherlands, Germany, France, Poland and New York in recent years.
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