When I signed up for Nightwalks with Teenagers I had no idea what to expect. Having now completed this quest, I can tell you that it does what it says on the packet. I spent so much time trying to rack my brain and figure out what this show could possibly provide, how the title and blurb could be interpreted, but it really is that simple. No further instruction required. The takeaway was that we should wander aimlessly around the neighbourhood more. Now I understand why people choose careers where they get to work with teenagers. It really is a privilege to be invited into their carefree world.
It felt like we were being chaperoned by the teenagers. I won’t give away the details of our escapades as that will ruin the show. But what I will say is that it felt really nice to not have to make decisions on where to go and what to do; to give in to the spontaneity and ambiguous expectations. At one point I saw a trolley on the footpath and couldn’t resist the urge to get in it and be pushed around the suburban streets.
Nightwalks with Teenagers. Photography by Sophie Minissale.
I can’t think of many opportunities where we get to embrace the simultaneously emotive and carefree existence of teenage hood after we chronologically age out of that era. Nightwalks gives audiences a unique opportunity to step into an idyllic teenage scenario, regardless of if that mirrors that respective era in their life. This was poignantly shared at one point in the show where the teenagers invited us to write down a particularly impactful moment that defined our teenage years. One adult audience member’s response that was read out by a teenager summed up the whole point of this show. As the oldest of 6 siblings, they had to grow up fast and help in raising the younger siblings. They’ve spent their entire adult life pursuing those experiences they missed out on. While I can’t speak for that person, I truly feel like this experience achieved that objective. It certainly made me feel like I was a teenager again. It was giving main character in an indie movie vibes.
In a world where youth is revered and growing up is scary and forebode with a tragic prognosis of boring, this show brought me comfort. Between the stops on our suburban nocturnal strolling, I revelled in the opportunity to converse with the teenagers. We compared the car spotting games of our respective generations, with different taglines for a Volkswagen Beetle. Or different criteria for car spotting entirely. This cultural exchange of playful information between my adult self and a random teenager was met with curiosity on both sides. In a world where people are usually buried in their phones, it’s nice to be in an environment where we are encouraged to connect with strangers.
Nightwalks with Teenagers. Photography by Sophie Minissale.
We’re so readily conditioned to differ ourselves from them and feel out of touch, especially in the age of social media. It feels harder than ever to keep up with the trends that are set by the youths and are changing so rapidly in this web 2.0 era. The memes, the music, and the slang that make up their cultural landscape sometimes feel alienating in a world where the algorithm is constantly trying to reinforce what it thinks your place in the world should be. But when you get in the actual vicinity of teenagers, something really cool happens. Conversing in person forces you to find mutuality.
With Nightwalks you get to step back in time to the teenage hood you had, or possibly wish you had. You might not have been able to get it right the first time but shows like this allow you to rewind and do a re-take. I went to this show with someone I’m pretty close with, and the prompts throughout gave me insight into their teenage years and brought us closer. Whether you go alone or with others, if you’re outgoing or too shy to interact with strangers, this show will still have potential to surprise you.