Genre(s)
Jeugdtheater

Synopsis

Every newborn baby get an egg, an egg that must never be broken. Four children - Sister, Little Brother, Giant and Happy - are travelling around together, without any parents. Giant, Happy and Little Brother have lost their eggs. Sister still has hers; it’s in her bag. That makes her the leader of the group. They’ve all set out to become heroes, for only then will the others get new eggs. That’s why they’re searching for a child in need whom they can rescue. They’ve come to the edge of a city. They still haven’t found any victim. Happy offers to become the child in need by jumping in the water or letting herself be locked in a cellar. Then Giant and Little brother can rescue her and earn new eggs. Sister explains to them that it doesn’t work that way.
Suddenly Little Brother discovers a girl. The girl is sitting very still, and she won’t talk. They try to make contact with the girl, who’s been given the name ‘Last’ by Little Brother. But the girl only reacts by rolling her eyes and shaking her body when they come too close. This makes the children feel uneasy. The girl has something in her hands, but they can’t see what it is. Even so, they want to know what she’s hiding and why she doesn’t speak. So they try to coax her out of her shell, first in a friendly way, but when that doesn’t work they try insults. The girl still refuses to speak.
For a moment they lose interest in her because she’s too withdrawn. Then the girl opens her hands: she’s holding an egg! Giant then wants to see Sister’s egg because he thinks her egg is much bigger, but the bag is empty. Sister accuses the girl of stealing her egg. She convinces the others to try to steal it back; that way they’ll be heroes and will earn eggs themselves. But everything they try fails. Their uneasiness turns into aggression and a grim struggle to get the egg back. Giant even wants to set the girl on fire, and Sister doesn’t stop him. In a final attempt, Little Brother desperately tries to get the girl to give up the egg, but in vain.
When Giant is unable to start the fire, Sister sends everyone away. When she’s alone with Last, Sister uses a trick to successfully snatch the egg from the girl’s hands. For the first time the girl then breaks her silence and asks for her egg back. It’s Little Brother who returns the egg, causing Sister to break into heart-rending sobs.

The last child features four archetypical characters: Sister is the leader type; she is strong, she takes care of Little Brother and keeps him clean. Little Brother is just the little brother who doesn’t know much but feels a great deal. He’s always messing in his pants, but during the course of the action he grows bigger than he ever was before. Giant is the strong boy who doesn’t think but acts - a doer with a big heart and a powder keg that can explode at any moment. Happy is the masochist, the whiner who’s spent her whole short life waiting for hugs and attention. She gets none of either, but she does get plenty of beatings.
The relationships between the children are thoroughly disrupted by the inaccessible girl. She’s always silent and doesn’t seem to need anyone. The four inevitably fall under the spell of this untouchable creature and think of ways to victimise her, using violence if necessary. With stubborn ingenuity each one ends up standing up for himself. The meaning of the egg is never explained in the play. Each person can decide for himself what the egg stands for.

SIS
What do we do with it, Giant?

GIANT
I got to do something?

SIS
why doesn't she scream?
that's what I'd like to know

GIANT
You think she's scared?
(silence)

HAPPY
I'd like it if somebody said to me: hi
who are you?
or: where do you come from?
I'd like that
(silence)

GIANT
she's not blind

SIS
yeah, so?

GIANT
she can hear too

SIS
she's born bonkers
I told you, didn't I?
(silence)

HAPPY
I wouldn't mind living under the ground either
like a mole
see nothing and dig tunnels
(silence)

GIANT
yes
what's she doing here?
why doesn't she say something, Sis?

SIS
my name is not Sis

GIANT
what she wants
I got to know what she wants, don't I?

SIS
this one is past saving
nothing in it for us
(silence)

HAPPY
I wouldn't mind sitting in the sun either but always when I want to sit in the sun
there is no sun
(Sis is only now listening to Happy, who has already given up trying to get attention)

GIANT
is she good or is she bad?
I want to know

SIS
you know what it is with Happy?
I don't like her

GIANT
I got to know, Sis

LI'L BROTHER
Sis...!

SIS
my name is not Sis!

LI'L BROTHER
I peed my pants

SIS
is that all you can do?
I'm not mama

LI'L BROTHER
but I still peed my pants

SIS
little stinkpiece!
(She takes him on her hip and carries him with her to the back to change him)

GIANT
what's she got in her hands?

HAPPY
nothing

GIANT
nothing?
(silence)
I don't know what it is
I never get this
what I got now, I never get:
I don't want to look at her and yet I'm looking at her all the time

HAPPY
so look at me

GIANT
I really want to do something to her

HAPPY
so do it
(silence)

GIANT
is she good or is she bad?

HAPPY
ugly
she's ugly

GIANT
you don't know, eh?
you don't know where she comes from
you don't know what family
what street
not even what country
you don't know if she's big for her age
maybe she's too small for her age
you don't know if she's got any friends
or that her father is with the police
or maybe in jail
yes
you know nothing 

Deze tekst is vertaald door
Jace van der Veen (The last child (E), engels, 1993)