Something Educational has been produced by Act One Scene One, and is being performed at theSpace @ Niddry Street. Five characters in one friendship group have been trapped together for their last 24 hours at their boarding school in northern Scotland.
Having five characters allowed for the lives five different pupils to be explored. What made it so humorous was that there was very little explanation needed for each character. It was very easy to associate them with characters from your own school days. I really enjoyed the comedic interactions between them all.
The pupils attend a religious boarding school in northern Scotland, and just 24 hours before they are meant to leave, they are caught playing bingo in church and put in detention. Over the 45 minute performance you are able to see five pupils evidently scared to leave. Both the music when you walk into the theatre and when you leave has been carefully selected in order to both set and end the scene. It highlights the fear that you have on leaving your friends, with the fear that you were really only just friends due to attending school together.
Rather simply, the set was just five chairs. These were constantly moved around the stage by each individual character. The movement of the chairs and the characters allowed for each actor to have their moment. Not one character on stage was favoured. This allowed for each individual to have a connection with the audience, which did allow for successful understanding of each character.
Some of my favourite moments included the compliment circle, in which trying to reunite the arguing group, sensible Archie suggests they each say something nice to another person. I also really enjoyed the quick wit throughout the performance, the writing being so like conversations you would have had with your own friends allowed for great enjoyment from the audience.
After seeing Something Educational, I am nostalgic for my school years. Something Educational is a must see show for anyone wanting to see a representation of their younger self just about to leave school.
Something Educational is on theSpace @ Niddry Street at 5:45pm until 12 August. Tickets are available: https://tickets.edfringe.com/whats-on/something-educational
Image provided to The Student as press material by theSpaceUK.