Meanwhile In Apeldoorn
Meanwhile in Apeldoorn brings stories from Apeldoorn’s history to life in 5 short videos, 5 freely accessible mini-events, and a final performance. These stories are part of Het grote verhaal van Apeldoorn (The great story of Apeldoorn), which is an initiative by CODA, Gemeente Apeldoorn, and Erfgoedplatform Apeldoorn, inspiring each of our short plays.
The Secret Phone Exchange
The Kiss
Lydia and the Melody Strings
Meet Me By The Pool
Orpheus Ghost Tour
Final Performance
The Secret Phone Exchange
After the fire in the Apeldoorn town hall in May 1943, during World War II, a large villa at Loolaan 20 is set up as a temporary town hall. What Mayor Dirk Frans Pont and the Germans do not know is that Apeldoorn resistance fighters are installing a secret telephone exchange in the attic of that villa…
A telephone exchange cannot function without staff. Someone has to record incoming messages and forward calls by literally connecting them to the right lines. A young resistance fighter, Nelly, stands guard there. She can enter and leave the building without being noticed because there are others using the villa, such as an Air Raid Protection Service post. When she has to sleep, the telephone service is taken over by a young man from the resistance.
Will they succeed in collecting and relaying important information while hiding “in the lion’s den”? Or will they get caught?
Mini Event Details
Date: 8 February 2025, Saturday
Time: 14:00-15:00
Venue: CODA (Vosselmanstraat 299, Apeldoorn)
Location: In the library, by the hotspot with theme “security”
Entrance: Free
Program
14:00 – 14:15 The Secret Phone Exchange mini theater performance
14:15 – 14:30 Interactive Q&A with writer and guest speaker
14:30 – 15:00 Tea / coffee
Photos will be taken during this event for promotional purposes.
Our Host
Our Guest Speaker
Stefan Rutten is an archivist at CODA.
CREDITS
WRITTEN BY SANNE HILLEMANS PRODUCED AND DIRECTED BY TULYA KAVAKLIOGLU PRODUCTION ASSISTANT JOY SMITH
HANNA WOLSKA AS NELLY TUULI PUOTINIEMI AS RENSKE JASMIJN LEUNISSEN AS MAYOR PONT JOY SMITH AS MAYOR’S ASSISTANT ROWYAN JONKER AS PETER SANNE HILLEMANS AS VOICE
JEAN-PAUL BEUMER AND ASHWINI UTHRAPATHI SHAKILA AND MYRA QIU IN ENSEMBLE ROLES MEGAN JULIA ROELOFFZEN FILM APPEARENCE
CHARACTER DESIGN BY JOY SMITH STAGE DESIGN BY ROWYAN JONKER
MARKETING BY TULYA KAVAKLIOGLU AND SANNE HILLEMANS AND ASHWINI UTHRAPATHI SHAKILA AND TUULI PUOTINIEMI
VIDEO BY THOMAS BOELAARS MUSIC BY MARIO MEIJER
PHOTOGRAPHY BY ROB BAKKER EXHIBIT IN VIDEO BACKGROUND BY GABI RETS
IN COLLABORATION WITH CODA AND HET GROTE VERHAAL VAN APELDOORN SPONSORED BY CULTUUR OOST AND RABOBANK THANKS TO GIGANT
This short play is inspired by De geheime telefoon van het verzet.
The Kiss
Máxima is sitting at her dressing table. She is wearing a simple and elegant red dress with half sleeves and a golden brooch close to her chest. Her hair is neatly done in a bun. The news speaker on the radio announces the press conference that day, 30 March 2001, about Prince of Orange Willem-Alexander and Máxima Zorreguieta’s engagement. Staring at herself in the mirror, Máxima asks herself: “Will they accept me as their queen?”
She surrenders to her nerves and drifts into sleep. In her dream, she is hosting a get together with Queens Wilhelmina, Juliana, and Beatrix, before is welcomed to the royal family. Will Máxima be able to win the hearts of the three Queens before she can win the hearts of the people of The Netherlands?
Mini Event Details
Date: 8 March 2025
Time: 14:00-15:00
Venue: Nettenfabriek (Spoorstraat 27b, Apeldoorn)
Location: Central area indoors
Entrance: Free
Program
14:00 – 14:20 The Kiss mini theater performance
14:20 – 14:35 Interactive Q&A with writer and guest speaker
14:35 – 15:00 Tea / coffee
Photos will be taken during this event for promotional purposes.
Meet Us At
De Kus – Ernst Jan Peters (2007)
CREDITS
WRITTEN, PRODUCED AND DIRECTED BY TULYA KAVAKLIOGLU PRODUCTION ASSISTANT JOY SMITH
MYRA QIU AS MAXIMA JASMIJN LEUNISSEN AS WILHELMINA ROWYAN JONKER AS JULIANA ASHWINI UTHRAPATHI SHAKILA AS BEATRIX MAX MASTEBROEK AS ALEXANDER JEAN-PAUL BEUMER AS NEWS SPEAKER
HANNA WOLSKA AND JOY SMITH AND MEGAN JULIA ROELOFFZEN FILM APPEARENCE
CHARACTER DESIGN BY JOY SMITH STAGE DESIGN BY ROWYAN JONKER
MARKETING BY TULYA KAVAKLIOGLU AND SANNE HILLEMANS AND ASHWINI UTHRAPATHI SHAKILA AND TUULI PUOTINIEMI
VIDEO BY THOMAS BOELAARS MUSIC BY MARIO MEIJER
PHOTOGRAPHY BY ROB BAKKER EXHIBIT IN VIDEO BACKGROUND BY MARIJE VERMEULEN
IN COLLABORATION WITH CODA AND HET GROTE VERHAAL VAN APELDOORN SPONSORED BY CULTUUR OOST AND RABOBANK THANKS TO GIGANT
This short play is inspired by De Kus onthuld.
Lydia and The Melody Strings
18 year old Lydia Tuinenburg and her younger brother Charles form a band together with their friends after moving to Apeldoorn from Indonesia. ‘Lydia and The Melody Strings’ quickly become well known throughout the country with their version of ‘Send Me The Pillow’ that stays in the national top 15 for no less than 38 weeks in 1959 and 1960.
There is one person who isn’t all enthusiastic about sharing Lydia with the band and a growing number of her fans though: Lydia’s American boyfriend Ruud. Soon, Lydia finds herself caught in the middle of a glamourous musical career that introduced Indo pop to The Netherlands and the comfort of a simple life in which love and family take the center stage. If she is not careful, life may make a choice between these two on her behalf…
Mini Event Details
Date: 12 April 2025
Time: 14:00-15:00
Venue: GIGANT (Nieuwstraat 377, Apeldoorn)
Location: Huiskamer
Entrance: Free
Program
14:00 – 14:15 Lydia and The Melody Strings mini theater performance
14:15 – 14:30 Interactive Q&A with writer and guest speaker
14:30 – 15:00 Tea / coffee
Photos will be taken during this event for promotional purposes.
Our Host
Our Guest Speaker
Marsha Regensburg from Theater Toko is a passionate maker of theater that matters, educates, and pursues a social/societal goal.
CREDITS
WRITTEN BY JASMIJN LEUNISSEN PRODUCED AND DIRECTED BY TULYA KAVAKLIOGLU PRODUCTION ASSISTANT JOY SMITH
ASHWINI UTHRAPATHI SHAKILA AS LYDIA JASMIJN LEUNISSEN AS CHARLES MYRA QIU AS BEN JEAN-PAUL BEUMER AS RUUD
HANNA WOLSKA AND JOY SMITH AND ROWYAN JONKER AND SANNE HILLEMANS AND TUULI PUOTINIEMI IN ENSEMBLE ROLES
MEGAN JULIA ROELOFFZEN FILM APPEARENCE
CHARACTER DESIGN BY JOY SMITH STAGE DESIGN BY ROWYAN JONKER
MARKETING BY TULYA KAVAKLIOGLU AND SANNE HILLEMANS AND ASHWINI UTHRAPATHI SHAKILA AND TUULI PUOTINIEMI
VIDEO BY THOMAS BOELAARS MUSIC BY MARIO MEIJER
PHOTOGRAPHY BY ROB BAKKER EXHIBIT IN VIDEO BACKGROUND BY TIM BREUKERS
IN COLLABORATION WITH GIGANT AND CODA AND HET GROTE VERHAAL VAN APELDOORN SPONSORED BY CULTUUR OOST AND GEMEENTE APELDOORN AND RABOBANK
This short play is inspired by Lydia eerste tieneridool van Nederland.
Meet Me By The Pool
Towards the end of the World War II, the 1st Canadian Army establishes its headquarters in Apeldoorn to be able to help liberate the Dutch cities further North and West. Corporal James Miller and other soldiers frequent the nearby open-air pool and its restaurant. What James doesn’t know is his entire life is about to change when he stumbles over a Dutch woman, Marie Thomas, peacefully sitting on a towel by the pool.
Although Marie isn’t happy about being disturbed at first, James manages to make up for it by offering Marie a bar of chocolate, which is a scarcely found treat those days. What starts as an exchange of treats, swimming lessons, and personal stories soon turns into something more.
Mini Event Details
Date: 27 April 2025
Time: 14:00-15:00
Venue: Boschbad (Felualaan 29, Apeldoorn)
Location: We will meet you at the main entrance 10 min before the performance and escort you to the play location
Entrance: Free
Program
14:00 – 14:20 Meet Me by the Pool mini theater performance
14:20 – 14:35 Interactive Q&A with writer and guest speaker
14:35 – 15:00 Tea / coffee
Photos will be taken during this event for promotional purposes.
Our Host
Our Guest Speaker
Laurens van Deventer is a military historian with broad knowledge of the Canadians in Apeldoorn.
CREDITS
WRITTEN BY MAX MASTEBROEK PRODUCED AND DIRECTED BY TULYA KAVAKLIOGLU PRODUCTION ASSISTANT JOY SMITH
SANNE HILLEMANS AS MARIE JEAN-PAUL BEUMER AS JAMES
MAX MASTEBROEK AND JOY SMITH AND TUULI PUOTINIEMI IN ENSEMBLE ROLES
CHARACTER DESIGN BY JOY SMITH STAGE DESIGN BY ROWYAN JONKER
MARKETING BY TULYA KAVAKLIOGLU AND SANNE HILLEMANS AND ASHWINI UTHRAPATHI SHAKILA AND TUULI PUOTINIEMI
VIDEO BY THOMAS BOELAARS MUSIC BY MARIO MEIJER
PHOTOGRAPHY BY ROB BAKKER EXHIBIT IN VIDEO BACKGROUND BY GUIDO NIEUWENDIJK
IN COLLABORATION WITH BOSCHBAD AND CODA AND HET GROTE VERHAAL VAN APELDOORN
SPONSORED BY CULTUUR OOST AND GEMEENTE APELDOORN AND RABOBANK THANKS TO GIGANT
This short play is inspired by Opening van het Bosbad and 1st Canadian Army Headquarters in Apeldoorn.
Orpheus Ghost Tour
Video for this story will be online mid-May. Check this page again later!
It’s 2065.
Theater Orpheus is about to celebrate its 100th anniversary. A perfect opportunity to try out the newly invented ghostvision glasses!
So, come on, put your glasses on and let’s go on a ghost hunt tour around the theater building! Orpheus, Princess Mustard, and Robo are going to be your guides as you meet Apeldoorn’s famous ghosts.
But wait, why are these ghosts talking about problems as problems of the past? Aren’t they just today’s problems?
Mini Event Details
Date: 6 June 2025
Time: 21:45-22:30
Venue: Theater & Concert Orpheus (Churchillplein 1, Apeldoorn)
Location: In front of the South (Maduralaan) entrance
Entrance: Free
Program
21:45 – 22:15 Orpheus Ghost Tour
22:15 – 22:30 Interactive Q&A with writer and guest speaker, as well as drinks
Photos will be taken during this event for promotional purposes.
Our Host
Our Guest Speaker
Mirjam Barendregt is the Director of Theater & Concert Orpheus.
CREDITS
WRITTEN BY JASMIJN LEUNISSEN PRODUCED AND DIRECTED BY TULYA KAVAKLIOGLU PRODUCTION ASSISTANT JOY SMITH
JEAN-PAUL BEUMER AS ORPHEUS SANNE HILLEMANS AS PRINCESS MUSTARD ROWYAN JONKER AS ROBO HANNA WOLSKA AS AUGUSTA MARIE THÉRÈSE DE BOURBON JOY SMITH AS MAYOR VAN HASSELT TUULI PUOTINIEMI AS EURYDICE
JASMIJN LEUNISSEN AND ASHWINI UTHRAPATHI SHAKILA AND MYRA QIU IN ENSEMBLE ROLES
CHARACTER DESIGN BY JOY SMITH STAGE DESIGN BY ROWYAN JONKER
MARKETING BY TULYA KAVAKLIOGLU AND SANNE HILLEMANS AND ASHWINI UTHRAPATHI SHAKILA AND TUULI PUOTINIEMI
VIDEO BY THOMAS BOELAARS MUSIC BY MARIO MEIJER
PHOTOGRAPHY BY ROB BAKKER EXHIBIT IN VIDEO BACKGROUND BY BAS FONTEIN
IN COLLABORATION WITH THEATER & CONCERT ORPHEUS AND CODA AND HET GROTE VERHAAL VAN APELDOORN
SPONSORED BY CULTUUR OOST AND GEMEENTE APELDOORN AND RABOBANK THANKS TO GIGANT
This short play is inspired by Oplevering schouwburg Orpheus and Eerste begrafenis op de begraafplaats aan de Soerenseweg.
Meanwhile in Apeldoorn
Final Performance
Did you know that there used to be a cemetery where Theater Orpheus stands today? Or that the resistance operated a secret phone exchange in Apeldoorn? Have you heard about Lydia, the first teen idol of the Netherlands, and her band, The Melody Strings? These fascinating stories, and others, come to life in English Theater Apeldoorn’s play, Meanwhile in Apeldoorn.
Join us this summer at Theater Orpheus for an unforgettable afternoon of entertainment and education, and rediscover the stories of our lovely city.
Date: Sunday, 22 June 2025
Time: 14:00 – 16:00
Venue: Theater & Concert Orpheus (Churchillplein 1, Apeldoorn)
Location: Restaurant O55
Entrance: €4.50 (including 2 drinks)
Please note that this play is in English and promotional photos will be taken during the performance.
CREDITS
WRITTEN BY SANNE HILLEMANS AND JASMIJN LEUNISSEN AND MAX MASTEBROEK AND TULYA KAVAKLIOGLU
PRODUCED AND DIRECTED BY TULYA KAVAKLIOGLU PRODUCTION ASSISTANT JOY SMITH
JOY SMITH AS RENÉ TUULI PUOTINIEMI AS CHARLIE
OUR CAST JEAN-PAUL BEUMER AND SANNE HILLEMANS AND ROWYAN JONKER AND HANNA WOLSKA AND
JASMIJN LEUNISSEN AND ASHWINI UTHRAPATHI SHAKILA AND MYRA QIU AND MAX MASTEBROEK AND MEGAN JULIA ROELOFFZEN
CHARACTER DESIGN BY JOY SMITH STAGE DESIGN BY ROWYAN JONKER
MARKETING BY TULYA KAVAKLIOGLU AND SANNE HILLEMANS AND ASHWINI UTHRAPATHI SHAKILA AND TUULI PUOTINIEMI
VIDEO BY THOMAS BOELAARS MUSIC BY MARIO MEIJER
PHOTOGRAPHY BY ROB BAKKER
IN COLLABORATION WITH THEATER & CONCERT ORPHEUS AND CODA AND HET GROTE VERHAAL VAN APELDOORN AND GIGANT AND BOSCHBAD
SPONSORED BY CULTUUR OOST AND GEMEENTE APELDOORN AND RABOBANK
Photo Gallery
Audience Reactions
Interessant! Goed initiatief!
Yvonne
It was a very nice theatre piece! You could feel the passion and love put into it!
Razvan Poinaru
Goed gedaan. (Vooral de korte voorbereidingstijd.)
Hanneke Wilhelm
Super leuk voor de zaterdag middag. Ook heel erg goed dat er in Apeldoorn een activiteit in het Engels is.
Bianca Welgraaf
Heel leuk om te zien.
Miriam Jonker
Funny staging: nice “freeze” effect!
William
Exciting play about something I didn’t know before.
Mamo
Super cool initiative, so interesting to hear of the stories from Apeldoorn.
Sundara Gurushev
Accessible for all. Free.
Rich
Such a great performance, I was really pleasantly surprised!
Gerda
Please go on it is great.
Hanneke
Leuk initiatief.
Familie Herold
Nice to know this story from Apeldoorn.
Mario
Mooi initiatief. Het is een korte opvoering en toch zit je als toeschouwer helemaal in.
Alies
I would like to congratulate the director / producer for doing a great job making these people a great team.
Kuzu 🙂
Nice to learn something from famous people of Apeldoorn.
Sander
Our Professional Collaborators
Videographer Thomas Boelaars
Thomas is an experienced videographer and photogrpaher at Visibilis, and an expert in creative visual storytelling. Learn more about Thomas here.
Musician Mario Meijer
Mario has a versatile background and ample experience in music. He is specialised in bass / jazz fusion, and scoring. Learn more about Mario here.
Many Thanks to…
Partner
Partner
Partner
Partner
Partner
Sponsor
Sponsor
Sponsor
As always, our eternal gratitude goes to our dear audience, friends and family for their support.
Meanwhile in Apeldoorn is awarded support as part of the “Participation is the Art: Culture & Heritage innovation budget” and Gemeente Apeldoorn’s “Cultural Project Scheme“.
Our Team
ASHWINI UTHRAPATHI SHAKILA
HANNA WOLSKA
JASMIJN LEUNISSEN
JEAN-PAUL BEUMER
JOY SMITH
MAX MASTEBROEK
MEGAN JULIA ROELOFFZEN
MYRA QIU
ROWYAN JONKER
SANNE HILLEMANS
TUULI PUOTINIEMI
TULYA KAVAKLIOGLU
About English Theater Apeldoorn
We are the international amateur theater community of Apeldoorn with members from diverse cultural backgrounds, ages, and occupations. Many of our members begin the season with little experience in theater and learn a lot by experimenting and collaboration as part of a play production.
From alderman Peter Messerschmidt and Gemeente Apeldoorn advisors Gavin Treep and Nienke Stavast’s
visit to our rehearsal for Meanwhile in Apeldoorn