If you can't bring young people to the National Theatre, bring the NT to them. Such is the motivation behind this school touring production, which will be visiting schools across England over the next few months. Delivered as a package, the production involves a day of CPD for English and Drama teachers to help them introduce the themes to students, and several resources such as videos so the audience isn't going in blind.
I found myself in a school assembly hall in Dagenham at 9:30am on a Monday morning, just a few weeks into the start of a new school term. I assumed that the actors would be facing a tough crowd but I was pleasantly surprised. The young audience was hooked from the first expletive and I saw very few signs of fidgeting and talking – that the play is staged in-the-round probably contributes to better behaviour. Instead, I saw lots of delighted faces, lots of turning to friends to share a moment and lots of laughter. The energy in the room was quite palpable and it heightened my experience.
The play has had a whopping 30 minutes cut from its runtime but doesn't suffer for it, still delivering the important story beats and emotional turns. That wouldn't be possible without a strong cast and there are no weak links here. Shiv Jalota carries the play with an earnest portrayal of Christopher, a 15-year-old boy showing symptoms of autism whose efforts to solve the murder of his neighbour's dog force him outside his comfort zone. Kathryn McGarr as Siobhan, Christopher's teacher, deftly provides a link between the audience and Christopher, helping us to make sense of his perspective.
The audience are shown representations of Christopher's mind through intense choreography from Frantic Assembly – a great chance for students to see the potential of movement in their own drama, and emotional in its own right.
All the challenges that come with miniaturising the play to work in a school hall were definitely worth overcoming, if only to show students what is possible in the spaces that they know, and to help them redefine their concept of theatre. It's wonderful to see the NT bringing high-quality theatre to young people who otherwise lack the opportunity to watch it – it shows respect and, in doing so, lets young people know that they deserve to see great work, performed by talented actors, wherever they are.
For more information about the tour, contact the National Theatre's Learning department nationaltheatre.org.uk/learning