Book reviews: Bitesize playwrighting
Vickie Smith
Sunday, May 1, 2022
'A brilliant selection of plays written by young people for young people.'
I would like to begin this review by saying wow – what a refreshing idea! A compilation of 10 short plays written by young people who are still in secondary school. Plays for young people, by young people. These plays were written as part of an initiative called Bitesize Playwrighting, during the first wave of the pandemic, when the schools were closed. The plays last 5 minutes each and are well written, making them ideal to explore in lessons.
Impress Me by Sasha Ramtohul-Akbur tells the story of a meeting between a school careers advisor and a student. It includes some strong language, so may be a play to explore with Key Stage 4 students only. It is a witty script with a great pace and is an interesting duologue to explore in terms of characterisation. The shift in power is evident, especially with how the character of Jude manages to lead Amanda into behaving in the manner of a spoilt teenager. The text is one for students to laugh at and enjoy the exploration of a farcical school situation.
Perceptions of Information by Rufus Jones in Year 8 is a political farce which made me laugh out loud. The three characters, who are playing chess, are discussing locking down the country and the impact this will have. The play really captures the journey we have all been through and the thoughts I am sure many of us had during the lockdown period. One of the closing lines stands out: ‘how do we really know what's true?’
Finally, Under the influence by Susie Weidman is beautifully written and tells so much in such a short amount of time. A truly tragic story about driving under the influence, with a dark twist that gets students thinking. The exploration with students using this as a stimulus would likely allow for some really interesting and emotional pieces of theatre.
All the plays are so well written and could be given to classes to explore something fresh and new. The fact that they are written by young people during a difficult time just makes them even better.
