I first discovered John Godber plays at Edinburgh Fringe and they quickly became a firm favourite, searching out productions every year at the Fringe and local touring productions. So, it is great that Teechers has been updated by John Godber with Teachers Leavers 22. Bringing it up to date including Ofsted inspections, safeguarding and hand sanitising. Not surprisingly though, for the three students finishing Year 11 at school, they feel let down by the education system. First written in the 1980s, Drama could be seen as a subject for students who weren’t academic, it wasn’t always taken seriously, schools didn’t have dedicated spaces in school, often squashed into any space available. Things may not have changed, but clearly students taking Drama still gain massively from the skills involved.
The three hander perform as Salty, Michael Ayiotis, Hobby, Terenia Barlow and Gail, Ciara Morris, as with their B Tech drama performance as they leave Whitewall College, a failing state school. Their exam performance was held on zoom, this is the first time in front of ‘real people.’ They perform all of the characters explaining their story of life as they see it in a underfunded school. Playing a range of characters including the teachers, the school bully, the caretaker and those from the local private school.
The energy is intense as soon as they enter the stage, with the fast pace never stopping throughout. The mix of characters show an incredible still of acting as you instantly recognise them as they quickly change. Music and dancing intersperse the scenes including a brilliant Greatest Showman piece. With a simple, yet effective, set of desks and chairs they create a physical performance full of comedy.
Teechers Leavers 22 merely observes on a moment in time, no solutions of how this can change, but it may make you think about how some young people feel let down as the leave school and take the next steps into the world.
The poignant ending, shows that they really do have a much greater understanding of themselves having been let them down by society.
Teechers Leavers 22 runs until Thursday 3oth March at Darlington Hippodrome.
