Naima Khan reviews Bruntwood Prize-winning play Mogadishu at Lyric Hammersmith
“What the fuck?” The first line in Mogadishu, from writer and former teacher Vivienne Franzmann, sets the tone for this absorbing depiction of loyalty and fear in an inner city school. I mention the swearing in Mogadishu not just because there's a lot of it but because this kind of perpetual use of cuss-words isn't something you hear in theatre often. When you do, it's usually from a notably frustrated, angry or threatening character. The kids in Mogadishu are all of those things, a lot of the time, but Franzmann’s brilliant script presents them as funny, personable little liars. They're evidently confused, fiercely loyal and at times utterly hilarious.
Their swearing will be picked up on by audiences. It is sometimes gratuitous, occasionally creative but more importantly, Franzmann has used it to portray their frustration. She's spent twelve years as a teacher and her writing really rings true.
These teens make up a volatile group of friends, led by Jason Chambers, the black kid at the heart of this charged play. When Jason pushes a white teacher to the ground as she tries to break up a fight, he faces suspension. Frightened for his future and afraid of his dad, he alleges that Amanda Phillips, the teacher in question also used a racial slur. But idealist Phillips plays down the incident out of concern for his future. And with knowledge of his past too, she is – for a long time – willing to let it go. Much to the frustration of her shouty, ballsy daughter Becky (an astute Shannon Tarbet), Phillips does precious little as her career is placed further and further in jeopardy. Honestly, it's hard to believe. But maybe it's just a reality few get to see.
There is a lot of honesty in this play. Franzmann points a finger at the overly bureaucratic systems that are in place to protect children and the flimsy ones that are supposed to protect teachers. She also highlights the unconquerable distance between pupil and teacher. Despite having a caring teacher who loves her job, the kids Phillips teaches still see her as different and not just because she's an authority figure. Equally, white middle class Phillips lets Becky spew casual racism in her home without much consequence. When it comes to a parent-teacher showdown in the headmaster's office, there's little they can agree on and a lot of distrust.
The tone is established even before the start through a foreboding by set Tom Scutt, whose design makes the audience feel like they're watching a cage fight. Under Matthew Dunster's fantastic direction, the actors climb fences and hang off walls. They prowl and stalk, making their presence felt even when they're not around. Despite the shoehorned melodrama towards the end, the sinister movement is balanced by Franzmann’s three-dimensional, Bruntwood Prize-winning script, which is without a doubt the reason you should see this play.
Mogadishu runs at Lyric Hammersmith until 2nd April.
Image: Jonathan Keenan
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