The Jewish Chronicle
Review: Mogadishu
Many shades of grey in the gem that is writer Vivienne Franzmann's remarkable stage debut.
February 4, 2011 10:50
1 min read
Many shades of grey in the gem that is writer Vivienne Franzmann's remarkable stage debut.
February 4, 2011 10:50A white teacher is accused of assaulting a black pupil. But it is not clear-cut. There are many shades of grey in the gem - albeit a flawed one - that is writer Vivienne Franzmann's remarkable stage debut.
She draws on her own experience as a teacher, to demonstrate how a malicious allegation can spiral out of control, with catastrophic consequences.
Jason (Malachi Kirby) pushes teacher Amanda (Julia Ford, pictured below) to the ground when she intervenes in a school brawl. She is anxious about reporting the incident, for fear of wrecking his precarious school career. But the tables are turned when he points the finger, claiming not only that it was she who pushed him, but that she also racially abused him.
Franzmann cranks up the tension as she delves into some very dark places - racism, suicide, self-harm, bullying, lies, and disloyalty. Every character is haunted by some kind of ghost.
Director Matthew Dunster has the actors penned inside a circular wire cage, a powerful metaphor for their sense of imprisonment. But the play is full of contrasts, and raises many laughs, largely from the comic, if crude banter from Jason's posse of streetwise pals who back up his claim.
Franzmann is close to the action of her play. She taught for a dozen years at a comprehensive in Walthamstow, in London, and knows two teachers who were the victims of false allegations. She took a year off to write the work, which was joint winner of the prestigious Bruntwood Prize for playwriting.
However, gripping and urgent as Mogadishu is, a number of avenues in the plot turn into cul-de-sacs, and some of the characters seem to evolve very suddenly (most notably Jason's father, from champion to bully).
And most seriously, I think, was the rather flat resolution of a powerful storyline. The build-up was magnificent, but the climax, sadly, under-played.
That and the expletive-laden language. It is not that I am overly upset by the constant use of words beginning with "f" and "c", but here swearing was overly relied upon to evoke the atmosphere of a rough school playground.
The production had great pace, however, and strong performances from a largely young cast. Honourable mention in particular for Shannon Tarbet as Becky, the mouthy daughter of accused teacher Amanda, and Ian Bartholomew was marvellous as the head teacher overwhelmed by red tape.
(Until February 19. Tel: 0161 8339 833)