#teechers

[dont-offend-the-bees]

Think I’m gonna start a thing of drawing characters when I’ve finished playing ‘em- gonna miss this sloppy gal!

[londomee]

had the weirdest fever dream while falling asleep to pokemon nuzlocke playthroughs, in which i became a drama teacher in a public school in London in a world where pokemon are real.

I had kids looking through documentaries in form time and writing down observations and analysis to apply in their devised pieces

John Godber must be proud :P

[kickassclefable]

teechers

[jackjones173]

What famous plays has Godber done?

John Godber remains one of the most played playwrights in the United Kingdom to date. This is due to some of his most famous works being loved by many such as Bouncers, Teechers and Shakers. Godber wrote his first and most successful play ‘bouncers’ in 1977. At first, it was essentially a two-hander featuring the characters; Tall and Short, who were two men stood on the door of a nightclub. It also featured a male and female student who were refused entry to the nightclub by Tall and Short and by the end of the play it became clear that Tall and short were just two random men who stood on any club door and assumed power. Since then, Godber has changed the play several times for it to be contemporary and the story has changed to 4 bouncers who tell the story of a night out through the eyes of 4 bouncers, 4 girls and 4 boys. There are only 4 actors for the performance therefore they have to multi role, which is something I love to do and would like to explore with my own performance. Another one of Godber’s most famous plays is Teechers which was written in 1984 and published in 1985, first being produced by Hull Truck Theatre Company in 1987 at Edinburgh Festival. It is a play within a play in which three students perform for their teachers, the new teacher Mr Nixon believes all students should be treated equally, which was uncommon in the 1980s, hence why Godber explored this route with Mr Nixon eventually helping the students with their education and drive for school. The play uses multi rolling with three actors playing over twenty parts and uses the bare essentials with very minimal set, an ideology that Godber often uses so that the actors can immerse audiences in the performance rather than using expensive sets or costumes. This is something that intrigues me and has pushed me more towards the idea that I will perform for my final piece. Multi rolling is something that I have always found fun experimenting with and by using Godber’s techniques I can elevate my own performance. Godber continues to write plays set in the present day because he wants his plays to reflect modern day life and its issues therefore also attracting a contemporary audience, which is one of his main reasons for rewriting many of his plays.

[pheobelike]

Saw this tonight.Absolutely fabulous, and so funny. 

All my British followers, if you have a chance to see this you should, this particular production is on tour at the moment. www.blackeyedtheatre.co.uk - check it out. 

[gooseyganders]

Local Gander// Theatre

Teechers

Theatre Royal, Bury St Edmund's

I opted for a bit of culture at the weekend in the form of the theatre… More light-hearted really, as it was John Godber’s Teechers performed by the legendary Blackeyed Theatre. I’ve seen his similarly hilarious Bouncers and Shakers in various forms, but Teechers was still one to cross off the list, so I jumped at the chance when it came to Bury’s Theatre Royal.

The play, and its subsidiaries, follow an unusual programme whereby three actors play all the characters within it – confusing, you might think. However, the changes flowed with sparkling clarity as the brute-like Mr Basford seamlessly transformed into the petrifying Mrs Parry, performed by Brad Clapson with unparalleled comic genius. The three actors’ chemistry with each other was fantastic, and helped to create such hilarious scenes as Mr Nixon’s close encounter with Oggy and Gail’s attempt at clinching the deal with her favourite teacher.

Blackeyed Theatre handled the play with due sensitivity, however, as John Godber’s script requires. The synopsis mentions Teechers’ exploration of the “haves” and “have nots” through the constant comparisons with nearby St George’s, and the poignancy of the message was not forgotten by the audience. This is what I love about Godber’s work, and the work of those who do it well, which Blackeyed Theatre certainly did: it packs a punch in terms of comedy, but it doesn’t forget to deliver that all important take-home lesson through believable characters and intelligent quips laced through an original storyline.

Theatre Royal, Westgate Street, Bury St Edmunds, Suffolk, IP33 1QR. Tel: [phone]

www.theatreroyal.org

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Like experiences? You might like Emma Daniels' Papercutting Workshops at Baker & Barista, Ipswich

[sobananapenguin]

Sir, I never!

I've seen John Godber's Teechers before. In fact, I was part of the marketing team for the Hull Truck Theatre tour in autumn/winter 2010. Four years ago; man, that's flown.

Back then, local actor Peter MacMillan played the thick but enthusiastic student Ian Salt, AKA Salty, so it was lovely to see him back on stage in Hull New Theatre last night in the same role, also reviving Salty's wet-behind-the-ears but unfailingly lovable drama teacher, Mr Nixon.

Joining Peter in this production by the John Godber Company and Theatre Royal Wakefield are Amy Thompson, presenter of Channel 5's Milkshake, and Tupele Dorgu, who played Kelly Crabtree in Coronation Street from 2004-10. So taking into account that Peter played Neil Hemingway in Emmerdale a couple of years ago, the show prospers from a cast of faces that you may well recognise from the telly.

Teechers hasn't changed a bit, and is all the better for it. Written in the early 80s, John Godber has kept pretty much every detail as it was when first performed at the Edinburgh Fringe in 1987, because nothing boasts longevity as relatable and bittersweet as the behaviour of secondary school pupils. (No matter what generation you belong to, there's always a school bully, a school wimp, a school moron, a school pervert.)

Whether or not you've seen Teechers or a John Godber play before, and regardless as to your feelings toward the education system, you'll love this production. Quite simply, it's just a damn good laugh. Each actor takes on multiple roles, and let me tell you, there are some right crackers! Pocket-sized Amy as a gruff, drama-hating caretaker is priceless; Tupele's gawky, sleeve-stretching Hobby is hopelessly clueless; and Peter proves a narrative observation to be quite apt, in that "all teachers dance like retards."

Teechers is only running until Saturday 12th April, so book your tickets now and enjoy this timeless tribute to the messy, cringeworthy, chaotic environment that, for some reason, people insist on referring to as the best years of your life.

[penciltopper]

The past two days have been so fucking stressful! AS/A/WHATEVER THE CORRECT TERM FOR IT IS Level Drama has actually destroyed me. I am in a group with two girls (one is amazing - shoutout to you Georgia!) but the other has made me feel so stressed I feel like I cannot go on and she keeps staying off and its quite selfish because THE EXAMS TOMORROW! Again as stated before: If you're planning on picking A Level Dram...DON'T DO IT!