Jack Studio Theatre, 7 – 23 September. Reviewed by Claire Roderick
4****
The sidelining of the arts in schools and the government’s obsession with forcing the STEM subjects upon uninterested students is alarming for everyone involved in education. At a time when KS1 staff are being encouraged to use art, drama, music and rhythm to aid mindfulness, thinking skills and creativity across the entire curriculum, once the children are of an age to be tested, tested and tested again, all of these theories and methods are deemed irrelevant and the pressure builds as school life gets more and more regimented with minimal opportunities for relief. The AC Group’s new musical tackles this issue with humour, and some cracking tunes.
With books hanging from the ceiling, and instruments all around the stage, as you wait for the show to begin you may start to wonder whether the State of Things will be Matilda on steroids, or The History Boys on speed. Turns out it’s somewhere smack bang in the middle. There’s the camaraderie as the children band together to defy and take on authority figures, but also the melancholic awareness that things don’t really change as they are too young for their opinions to be respected.
When they find out that their academy is cutting music provision, the seven members of the GCSE class decide to do something about it. Appeals to the head teacher fail, so they begin a campaign on social media. As in any show set in a school, the characters are a Breakfast Club-lite mix. There’s the posh, rich Adam (Elliot Clay) who is mooning after the enigmatic Ruth (Hana Stewart) – their repeated moments of almost, but not quite, kissing are written sweetly, with a hilarious evening in his bedroom writing a letter to the head as the rest of the cast sing a Barry White style song encouraging her to “take my sonnet, go down on it” amongst other suggestions. Rugby player Will (James William-Pattison), who has no filter whatsoever and is crude, funny and sexually confused; bass player Sam (Peter Cerlienco), the cool one who looks and acts like he’s in a real rock band; geeky and intense Kat (Nell Hardy) who knows deep down that nobody actually NEEDS a viola player in a band; and soppy lovebirds Jaz (Rosa Lukacs) and Beefy (Toby Lee) who can’t keep their hands off each other, complete the band.
The cast are all full of energy, and are talented musicians. Completely believable as hormonal teenagers, each cast member manages to make an impact on this fine ensemble piece. William-Pattison grabs the most laughs as Will, with some wonderful drunk acting, while Clay’s facial expressions as he struggles to talk to Ruth are a joy. And Hana Stewart’s voice – fabulous!
Elliot Clay’s music and lyrics (he’s a talented young man) are catchy and memorable, with a couple of lovely ballads which build to powerful emotional endings, and a fantastic singalong finale that ensures the audience leaves buzzing. One of the funniest songs has the cast smilingly and sweetly insulting the head, Maggie, as Kat earnestly delivers her statement to Maggie (a coherent and well thought out piece about the benefits of music education) which ultimately falls on deaf ears.
Thomas Atwood’s book is full of wit, and lots of authentic teenage sarcasm. The political points are mostly delivered with fatalistic humour without becoming preachy (as well as education cuts, child carers and the changing goalposts of disability benefits crop up) and the teenagers’ realisation of their own impotence and despair at the older generation’s mistakes isn’t overdramatised, making their acceptance of their fate credible and satisfying. There isn’t a happy ending for these characters, just an uncertain future, but one filled with hope.
The State of Things is a fantastic new home grown musical, demonstrating EXACTLY why music education is so important. Get down to the Jack and join in the fun.