REVIEW: Class, The Traverse, Edinburgh Fringe ✭✭✭✭

Paul T Davies reviews Class now playing at the Traverse Theatre at Edinburgh Fringe

Photo: Ros Kavanagh Class

The Traverse

19 August 2018

4 Stars

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Brian and Donna are called to a meeting with their son's teacher, as tests show that he is struggling and the teacher feels he may need to see a psychologist. Recently separated, Brian and Donna didn't enjoy school themselves, and their own insecurities and defences quickly come into play and the meeting escalates into confrontation. Iseult Golden and David Horan's excellent play and production uses this meeting, and scenes in the classroom, to demonstrate that class, the one you're born into, and the class you're put into in school, stacks the odds against children, parents and teachers. The cast are excellent, Will O'Connell is passionate, nervous and, unintentionally, incompetent as teacher Mr. McCafferty, trying to do his job, caring deeply for his pupils, but beaten by paperwork and stress. Stephen Jones is excellent as Brian, the angry, hurt, aggressive but vulnerable dad, and also as the nine year old Jayden. Completing this excellent trio is Sarah Morris as mum Donna, the sensible one, trying to keep order, and as Kaylie, fellow special measures classmate of Jayden. The genius of the play is that, by showing so convincingly the way children are taught and pick up things from adults, we see the inevitability of the cycle repeating itself. It's a tough message, but the play is witty and hilarious as well as hard hitting.

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