Teechers
Writer
John Godber
Production Brunton Theatre Company
Venue Brunton Theatre, Musselburgh nr Edinburgh
Dates until 7th October 2000
Reviewer Thelma Good
Three highly talented and physically fascinating young actors, Tom Freeman,
Tracey Robertson and Clare Waugh give the audience a really good time.
They take us into the world of the "going-to-leave-school" whose reports
can read: "Average, opens a book well and likes a warm room." Judging
from the laughter in the theatre we've all read, had or even written
reports like that. And experienced disjointed PE teachers who lope around
the school grounds.
The three actors play over-hormoned young students, a beleaguered teacher
with a doctorate who faces remedial classes and Mr Basford. He looks
like Groucho Marx, but with a humour bypass. Then there's Oggie who
is hard: don't cross him in the playground.
Under David Mark Thomson's direction this production zips into life
even before the house lights go down and feeds our imagination with
drama that is fun, noisy, and says things you can't say so clearly elsewhere.
Teechers is a much-performed, and certainly on this showing, highly
enjoyable play. It is well-observed and tellingly written by John Godber
who was once a drama teacher like Mr Nixon, one of the central characters.
Whether you've graduated to the sanctuary of the staff room, been summoned
to the headmistress's study, smoked behind the bike shed, or just been
average, this production will make you smile and also think. And you'll
learn the drawback to the spring onions trick.
© Thelma Good October 2000
