Brute

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In Izzy Tennyson’s new play, adolescence is brutal and the school is a battleground. For protagonist Poppy, arriving at a new all girls state school, Darwinian logic has never been so sharp. It’s bully or be bullied, the cruelty excused with cries of “it’s only a fucking joke”. The kids definitely aren’t alright.

As played by Tennyson, Poppy is all fidgeting anxiety, hands restlessly tugging at jumper, hair, tie. And she’s right to be nervous. Her position quickly fixed in the school’s complex social hierarchy, the only options are violent ones, putting Poppy in the complex role of both victim and bully. Adults, meanwhile, are all frustration and disgust, as teachers, parents and mental health services alike fail the youngsters they should be caring for.

Tennyson has an acute memory for the jagged texture of teenage years. Watching as a teenager of the noughties, the familiar points of reference—MSN Messenger, Jane Norman bags as status symbols—raise a smile. The narrative, though, prompts anything but nostalgia. Tennyson’s monologue is frequently funny, but its laughs often come with a sting. These teenagers are bruised and insecure, let down by an increasingly hostile world.

While Poppy as a character is vivid and distinct, the world around her sometimes lacks clarity. And as the targets of Tennyson’s critique multiply—bullying culture, poor pastoral care, exam-fuelled stress—the script begins to lose its way a little. Still, though, it’s a brilliantly nightmarish vision of youth, with enough force to give all adults pause.