Can teachers and students be friends? It is not uncommon for students, especially in their early years at school, to show an attachment or admiration for a teacher they find special. This can be a very unique relationship that can do so much good for self-esteem and be held onto for a lifetime.
Badgers Can’t Be Friends, written by Joe Skelton and directed by Hamish Clayton, is a one-hour fast-paced comedy diving into this nuanced question. It unravels it to reveal complexities and barriers existing in the education system on a greater level and their impact on the well being of students. At the same time, it is a demonstration of man's hubris and what it means to make a difference in this world.
The story begins with primary school teacher Mr Dennis or Ben (Jack Gray) and his girlfriend, ambitious business person Katy (Kamilah Shorey), having mandated quality time together on a Friday night. Despite doing their best to bottle the bad day each of them had individually endured and to make the most of their evening, Ben finally explodes to reveal an anger he has been harbouring towards his headteacher whom he has been reprimanded by. One of Ben's purples, Juliusz, a lonely and reclusive young boy believed to be on the spectrum although not officially tested yet, declared openly that Mr Dennis is his best friend. Seeing this as an inappropriate teacher-student relationship, the headteacher ordered Ben that this friendship MUST come to an end (the Ninja battle the pair were caught having didn't help either). Ben is furious about this and sees it as a narrow-minded decision. Anna (Magdalena Jasiniak), the single mother of Juliusz, shares in this anger. Anna had been so pleased with the positive impact of this friendship on her son's behaviour and progress at school that she has rightfully become worried about Juliusz regressing without it. From here, the play launches into a hilarious, grotesque and somewhat disillusioned social media revolution to change the education system… but at what cost?
The hour I spent in the Kings Head Theatre watching this laugh out loud show flew by. Direction from Clayton keeps the comedy punching through while also knowing how to push the humour that little bit further to make us all wince in our seats (in a good way). Equally, however, are moments of honesty that seem to stop time to make the audience listen to the core issues the work raises.There seem to be two prevalent conflicts at play in this story. The first centres around the UK education system not catering for individual children’s needs. The second looks at how even with good intentions, the best of us can be manipulated by unexpected power and recognition to the point where the good intention becomes the problem. In a way, the play needs more than an hour to unpack this all! Points raised about how programs like the SATS, originally designed to assess schools, has transferred anxiety to perform within a status quo on to the students from a very young age offers a very current debate worth exploring but ultimately Ben’s descent into viral fame prevents any sort of resolution. This opening up of an issue then abandoning it without any closure feels very much like a reflection of our time. The cast holds the unique energy of this play so well that all unanswered questions continue to buzz in your head once you go home.
The trio who make up the cast are a pleasure to watch from beginning to end and play incredibly well together.
Gray’s portrayal of Ben is first class. His comic timing is on point at every turn and melds perfectly with what appears to be the intention of Clayton’s direction. Right from the beginning, he will have you laughing at his childlike appreciation for superheroes and passion for his job before taking the audience on a swift journey into an absurd place where he becomes disillusioned and drunk on the power that comes from having something to say. Kamilah Shorey’s depiction of the far more serious and closed Katy is a well-performed contrast to Gray’s lively Ben. Like so many women in an ambitious corporate environment, Katy's happiness is overshadowed by the expectations of all those around her and puts the long term effects of the pressure children face into context. Shorey balances her performance between heightened comedy and truthful moments with ease.
The example of how anxiety and pressure felt by a student can have a ripple effect into their home life is beautifully embodied by Magdalena Jasiniak as Anna. Jasiniak plays the selflessness of Anna as strong yet vulnerable with all the power required for a modern-day single mother in a big city. When, despite her good intentions, Anna eventually finds herself fuelling the ego of Ben to her and her son's detriment, a powerfully written monologue by Skelton performed earnestly by Jasiniak provides a very sobering moment. It demonstrates her ability to transform the mood of a space 360 degrees in an instant.
Accompanying the wonderful performances is a well-executed sound design from Nye Roberts that contextualises the story in a millennial world and supports the fast pace of the work. The design by Oliver Kariel together with fun and clever lighting choices by Anthony Englezou makes fantastic use of the Kings Head black box theatre.With 10% of profits from Badgers Can't Be Friends going to Education Support (the UK's only dedicated charity for the education workforce), and with a limited number of half-price tickets for educators at each performance, this is a show that will make you laugh, smile with a strong message at its core.
Review by Stephanie Osztreicher
Rating: ★★★★
Seat: NA | Price of Ticket: £10 - £18
