Teechers

The play “Teechers” was written by John Godber, in 1984 and was first performed in 1987 by the “Hull Truck Theatre Company” and also at the Edinburgh Festival.The story centers on three school leavers, young girls Salty, Hobby and Gail as they tell the audience about their time at the “Whitewall High School”, a tough underfunded comprehensive school known as Colditz, were reference books are cello taped together because they cannot afford new ones and  like most schools has the usual mix of children such as the girl who has a crush on the teacher and  a boy who is the school bully. The girls talk about their new drama teacher Mr. Jeff Nixon, and tell us about his struggle to establish his social standing within the school both with pupils and staff, which is highlighted at various times throughout the play such as during a very funny observations of staffroom politics. Mr Nixon believes that all children should be treated equally, and he gradually motivates his classes and ignites the children’s and especially the three girl’s passion for drama where they can escape into the stories and become different people. Unfortunately, at the end of the play Mr. Nixon is disheartened and discouraged and despite the girls pleading with him to stay for the sake of the other children at the school, he plans to leave “Whitewall High School” to teach at “St George's”, a private school which has much better conditions for both children and teachers.
 
 Directed by Andy Hawkes and Pat Baker this was an excellent production of Godber’s play from “Ormskirk Theatre Company” which was performed in the intimate setting of a room in the Toby Carvery Ormskirk. With no scenery, just a few chairs, three tables and good sound, lighting and a back screen projecting the setting for each scene, the staging was just right for this production and venue. The talented cast all produced superb believable characters with lots of energy and enthusiasm working together as a team with no weak links at just the right pace for this type of play, with clear diction, spot-on comic timing and a good rapport with the audience, as there was audience interaction by most of the characters. The cast included Kelly Fisher a Salty, Charlotte Taylor as Gail and Emily Parr as Hobby, who were very strong as the three schoolgirls at the centre of the action. With Chris Smalley as Mr Nixon their new Drama Teacher who succeeded in getting the audience to empathize with him throughout the play. Gary Simpson was the strict disciplinarian and intimidating Mr Basford Deputy Head, whose policy is to “hit them low and hard” while Pat Baker was Miss Parry the kindly but eccentric Headmistress and Director of the Amateur Dramatic Show “The Mikado”. Lisa O'Reilly was games mistress Miss Prime the object of Mr. Nixon’s affections and Jenny Parr was Miss Whitham the nervous teacher who threatened to call in Mr. Basford when her class got uncontrollable. Leslie Roper was Miss Jones who was a moaner and bit of a hippie, she would like to leave the school but cannot get another job and lastly Paul Falcone was very busy playing Doug, the caretaker, who hates kids and drama, Oggy the school bully and Peter a youth with tattoos and bit silly.

This was at times a very funny play but also quite poignant with a serious message at its heart, as it looks at the inequalities and expectations of life for young people. At the end the audience were left wondering just what would happen to the three school girls, what would they make of their lives as they leave school and become adults.

Congratulations to Andy Hawkes and Pat Baker and to all involved in this excellent production. Thank you for inviting us we hope to see you again soon.

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