Mogadishu

Synopsis

This hard-hitting play takes place in an inner city London school, in which a teacher, Amanda, is accused of racial harassment by one of the pupils. It was one for the four joint first prize winners in the most recent Bruntwood Playwriting Competition and was recently announced as the winner of the 2010 George Devine Award for Most Promising Playwright. This is the first play by Vivienne Franzman who is herself a Drama teacher in a comprehensive school in London. Age 11+

Our Review:

15 February 2012

The Royal Exchange Theatre, Manchester and Lyric Hammersmith are currently touring their latest co-production, the ineptly named Mogadishu. Fortunately, the production’s depiction of (we presume) an inner-city secondary comprehensive more than makes up for the title!

The play opens when a teacher is assaulted whilst trying to prevent a school yard fight breaking out, the next two and a half hours of twists and turns are determined by the decision of one of the lads to lie and scheme his way out of expulsion. However, victim becomes accused, the system breaks and further crises develop.

Vivienne Franzmann clearly has the ear when it comes to understanding both teenagers and family dynamics; her first play expertly picks out the nuances of adolescence speech to perfection, here displayed by an outstandingly strong cast.

The aforementioned victim, teacher Amanda (Jackie Clune) fights against the tide in the quest to prove that good lies in all, struggling against her s...

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