Educated

Educated ... a devised play, researched, designed, directed, choreographed and performed by four students from Ormskirk School on Thursday, 23rd March 2026 at the Theatre, Ormskirk School, Wigan Road, Ormskirk as part of their syllabus for an examination.

“Educated” is a true story written by its protagonist, Tara Westover. It recounts her extraordinary upbringing in a strict Mormon survivalist family in rural Idaho, where she lived with her parents and six siblings. Tara, quotes in her book “I had grown up preparing for the Days of Abomination, watching for the sun to darken and the moon to drip with blood”. Tara spent her summers bottling peaches and her winters rotating emergency supplies, believing that when the world collapsed, her family would endure untouched. Tara had never been registered at birth, had no school records because she had never been to school and no medical records because her father rejected doctors and hospitals. In the eyes of the state, Tara simply did not exist! As she grew older, her father’s beliefs became more extreme and her brother Shaun increasingly violent. At sixteen, Tara made a life‑altering decision; she would educate herself. Her pursuit of knowledge carried her far beyond the Idaho mountains—across oceans and continents—to Harvard and Cambridge. Only then did she begin to question whether she had travelled too far, and whether a path home still remained. This play, adapted from Westover’s memoirs, focuses on Tara’s early years. It’s a story of self - discovery, the pull of family loyalty and of the grief that comes with breaking even the closest of bonds.

The Cast...
i) ‘Tara Westover’ was played by Eva Atkins
ii) ‘Taylor Westover’ played by Layla Bell
iii) ‘Mum’ played by Phoebe Constantine
iv) ‘Dad/Shaun’ played Luca Pastor

The four performers basically did A to Z to bring this abridged version of ‘Educated’ to life. Having delved deep into Tara Westover’s early years, they presented their own interpretation of what they thought her childhood might have felt/looked like — and what a task that was! Their insight, their imagination and their sheer ability shone through on that stage!

Anyone who has read my show reports knows this is the point where I “stick my neck out” and highlight MY show‑stealers and standout performances. With only four cast members, you might think it would be difficult to choose — but honestly, I have no hesitation in namingmy show‑stealer as Eva Atkins, who portrayed Tara Westover. Sitting barely ten feet or so from the action, I/we just lived every moment with her. It truly was an emotional rollercoaster of a ride, yet Eva handled it with unbelievable ease! She radiated confidence and looked utterly committed to this role. Her stage presence was striking, her mannerisms beautifully observed, and her connection to Tara felt so authentic. Her diction and enunciation were excellent; each word delivered with nuance and intention. Eva, you were an absolute joy to watch — be incredibly proud! Luca Pastor took on the demanding double role of Tara’s father and brother Shaun.  OMG... I genuinely hated him, which is exactly what the character called for. Having seen Luca in a couple of productions now, this performance was another clear step up. His presence was powerful, his characterisation convincing and he worked well with all the cast. The choreographed interchanges, especially with Tara, were particularly strong... be proud, Luca!  Layla Bell, as Tara’s sister Taylor, brought a lovely sincerity to her scenes. Her interactions with Tara offered a gentle balance to the anger and violence shown by the father and brother. Her movement was confident, her diction clear, and her performance grounded and genuine, well done, Layla.  Our final performer was Pheobe Constantine who played Tara’s mother - perhaps the quietest of the four roles, but possibly the most challenging. Pheobe did a great job showing the emotional restrictions that shaped the world she lived in, which I would suggest wasn’t easy to achieve, yet Pheobe captured it with subtlety and truth. She appeared assured on stage, her diction was excellent, and her interpretation reflected the difficult position mothers must have found themselves in, in such environments. Congrats Pheobe.... congrats everyone.                                                       
This was a truly powerful, emotional twenty minutes that I won’t forget for a long time!

Staging & Tech ... loved the simple staging with its unkempt feel of a house/rooms that were used to tell the story, it felt right with books slung everywhere.  The two locations for the bedrooms, were used to great effect, nothing elaborate, yet it felt just right.  The music used to set scenes and enhance the atmosphere was again just right and which allowed the choreographed movement to shine through and tell a story. Lighting was simple yet added so much to the overall feel for the environment we found ourselves.   Congrats again!

Costumes and Props... costumes were apt, props used well, both enhancing the production.

I had the opportunity to speak with the cast post-performance ... my first comments... “I’m just not coming here anymore... I go home an emotional wreck and that really is something you four need to take credit for. From your opening words to your final bows, performed in front of your peers, sat less ten feet away from you, to do what you just did and achieved, to get the reaction you got at the conclusion ... says so much about the quality of performance that you all delivered”.

  
Please, please, please take on board what I said to you all at the end... don’t let this God given talent you been blessed with go to waste... someone, somewhere would greatly benefit from your ability to create a character, to perform on stage, to keep me and a bunch of your peer group on the edge of their seats for 20 minutes ... it doesn’t have to be via the professional route, do as many do, use it as a hobby and you’ll get so much out of it for sure!

Thanks for the invite and for allowing me to see this, your production, it truly was an hour of my life so well spent!

Stay safe, Keep well ...
‘Stronger Together’

Jim Briscoe ...
NODA NW
District 6 Rep

© NODA CIO. All rights reserved.