Issue Based Teenage Monologues

There are over 70 monologues in this book, which differs from more traditional monologue compilations in that these are not from published plays. The monologues handle a range of pertinent teenage themes with freshness, intimacy and sensitivity, and were built through workshops with young people. This gives them an authentic, conversational quality – these are children's voices speaking to us with urgency and poignancy.

I think the book would be most useful to explore with Key Stages 3 and 4, or in a PSHE setting. The topics covered represent a vast range, from bullying, to identity, parental relationships, peer pressure, underage drinking, drug use and consent. There is an equally rich selection for all genders. Each monologue has a title that relates to its content, for example, I Should Have Been a Boy, Gone Viral and Who Am I? are fairly self-explanatory. This would be helpful if you were keen to explore a particular issue within your school group without having to trawl through them all.

Some are extremely hard hitting – those about rape, knife crime or suicidal thoughts clearly need handling with care. However, the book also offers a lighter perspective on teenage life. Toilet Trouble, for example, is a comical account of being stuck in the school toilets without any loo roll, and Start a Revolution is an inspiring discussion about how the individual might make a difference in the war against climate change.

I was particularly impressed by the concise but useful range of practical exercises at the back of the book, which could help teachers to springboard their exploration of these texts with pupils. These include warm up games and exercises, characterisation work, and vocal and physical tasks.

While these monologues are not fine poetry or particularly ambitious examples of dramatic form, what they can provide is a platform to interrogate these pressing and urgent matters affecting the lives of our young people. With the prominence of the recent ‘Everyone's Invited’ campaign, which gave a voice to those in UK schools and universities who have experienced harassment and rape culture, it seems that our teenagers are more willing than ever to engage in these types of conversations.