Bright. Young. Things., by Georgia Christou

Bright. Young. Things. is part of a much-needed collection of plays, ‘Platform Plays’ (from Tonic Theatre in partnership with Nick Hern Books), aimed at moving towards greater gender equality in theatre. These plays promise to solve one of the biggest problems faced by youth theatres and many school drama clubs, in that they are big cast plays with predominantly female characters. I have to admit, this had me on side from the start, however I am pleased to say that beyond that, the play itself has a lot going for it.

Set around a television talent show (a Britain's Got Talent for brainy children), as the competition progresses we gradually peel back the layers on the contestants, learning more about them as they, indeed, learn more about themselves. A light humour and embedded theatricality, plus some over-the-top characters, blend with moments of real depth. The audience is taken on a fascinating and well-crafted journey.