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The Hull Truck Theatre's production of TEECHERS, Millennium Forum, Derry, 9th October 2004 Written and directed by John Godber Starring: Vicky Binns, Jennifer Ness, Matthew Booth Reviewed by Simon Fallaha
 Nearly a year ago, I wrote an article praising the virtues of one of the few truly worthwhile television shows to populate our airwaves. This was, of course, Teachers, which is very close to returning for its fourth run at the time of writing. So when I picked up a leaflet advertising this play about teachers that we all thought we knew and grew up with in school, one that offered "a raw and riotous look at life in a modern comprehensive!" I had a strong sense of d�j� vu. Teechers (more on the spelling in a moment), however, was literally in a class of its own. By the start of the night I was wondering if I'd made the right choice going along to this play after all. By the end of the night, I felt that I had probably seen something better than Teachers altogether. The play's writer and director, John Godber, explains that the mis-spelt title of the play is "a political statement", a "comedic dig at the 'system' which has failed to teach the pupils correctly." Rather than all-out comedy, there was more than a hint of satire in this. Being a former teacher himself, Godber knows the classroom, and it certainly shows here. Teechers has actually been around for a very long time, since 1987 in fact. From that year on it has been performed by several theatre companies and received critical acclaim wherever it's been shown. I can't say if such notice spread to Derry, though - the audience at the Forum seemed pretty small. Shame on those who missed it, though. This was a show to remember. What makes Teechers even more unique, and perhaps even more demanding to its cast, is that it has to be performed by just three people. For this theatrical run, two former Emmerdale stars (Vicky Binns and Matthew Booth) and one Bad Girls star (Jennifer Ness) took to the stage to play a variety of roles. From the start, the cast made it clear that Teechers was all about "using your imagination" since they had to act as narrators as well as playing their parts. Apparently, not everyone who has watched the play has wanted to do that. Perhaps this is why the public reception has not been as good as it should have been. The typical stereotypes were all there, such as the over-enthusiastic headmistress, the bespectacled Deputy Head with a 'tache who's very easy to make fun of, the new drama teacher and the sprightly PE teacher who's admired from afar. And let's not forget the school bully while we're at it. (To Teachers fans - if you thought the likes of Pauline and Kayla were a little menacing, you ain't seen nothing yet.) All told from the point of view of three "pupils" at the school. It works so well for the same reason the best school satire/comedies do - we have all known people like the ones that I've mentioned above at some point in our lives. Teechers is far more true to life than the likes of Teachers. Sure, there are moments where we see the staff out of school, but they are rare. Godber's style of writing is more down to earth. Another great thing I can say about Teechers is that you very quickly forget that you're watching three actors on stage. Even by just wearing a pair of glasses and a fake plastic 'tache, these three can inhabit their characters so well. All three cast members were clearly enjoying themselves, although if I had to pick a standout, it would have to be Jennifer Ness. I think she played every possible role in the play except the PE and drama teacher, and that's some achievement. There were a few unfortunate slip-ups. The use of contemporary music didn't gel as well with the action on stage as I hoped it would. Maybe if one of the cast had broken into song it would have been more fun. That, and some jokes fell flat, although, to be fair to Godber and his cast, they didn't seriously affect the show as a whole. I give it 9 out of 10. That's a pass with distinction, without a doubt. If only the rest of Derry knew exactly what they had missed.
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