Mogadishu (play)
Encyclopedia
Mogadishu is the debut play by ex-school teacher Vivienne Franzmann
concerning a white teacher who tries to protect her black student from expulsion after he pushes her to the ground, but in order to protect himself the student lies and drags her into a vortex of lies in which victim becomes perpetrator. It was first produced by Royal Exchange Theatre in Manchester
before it was transferred to the Lyric Theatre in Hammersmith
, London
. The play recently came was one of four joint inners of the Bruntwood Playwriting Competition and the George Devine Award 2011.
secondary school teacher, Amanda, is pushed to the ground by black student, Jason, when she tries to intervene in a fight between him and a younger foreign student Firas. Ignoring her daughter Becky's advice to report him she resists from telling the Headmaster, Chris, for fear of ruining his future and knowing his history, one which she refuses to reveal to Becky, she feels sorry for him. Finally persuaded, she mentions this to Chris the next day who is suspicious of why she has waited so long.
Jason meanwhile has enlisted his on off girlfriend Dee and friends Chug, Saif, Jordan and Chloe to back up his story that Amanda pushed him first and racially abused him. They are resistant for a while but soon change their minds, Chris is forced to take the claims seriously and sends Amanda home.
Becky is enraged at their lies and turns to her black step father Peter to support her, telling Amanda to take the situation seriously and contact her union
. Refusing to blow the situation out of proportion she doesn't, but is soon suspended as the kids stick to their stories with even Firas admitting he didn't see what happened.
Amanda feels betrayed by Chris and above all Jason. Chris calls Jason and his father into school, Jason's father turns out to be quite an intimidating figure but after getting Jason's assurance that he is telling the truth demands to know why Chris hasn't yet reported the incident to the police. Chris agrees to do so.
Jason asks his friends to go to the police to volunteer a statement against Amanda, they eventually agree to do so. Waiting late at night for their phonecall to tell him what happened at the station his father interrupts him and is furious at him for breaking house rules over late night phone calls answering a call from Dee and telling her that Jason wets the bed.
Under severe pressure from Becky Amanda admits the reason that she feels sorry for Jason is because his mother killed himself. Becky then begs Firas to tell Chris that he saw Amanda be pushed and not the other way round, he agrees and tells the friends this. Jason is furious and suspects that they didn't really go to the police, after a fight where he slaps Dee they desert him.
Becky confronts Jason alone in the playground and reveals that her own father killed himself, hanging himself with a Homer Simpson
tie she had given him for Christmas, Jason is cold towards this revelation even when she reveals scars across her legs and arms from self harm. They argue furiously and Becky taunts him over his dead mother.
The friends led by Dee admit to having lied to Chris who can then drop the charges. Jason is seen in his house making a noose for himself in the kitchen and hanging himself. Amanda returns to school but betrayed by the system she put so much faith in refuses to accept Dee's apology and tells Chris that she doesn't want to return to school anymore.
in Manchester
before transferring to the Lyric Theatre in Hammersmith
, London
. It recivied generally very favourable reviews with Dominic Cavendish of The Telegraph
saying; The play of the year? In my book, quite possibly. In manchester originally performed in the round the same design by Tom Scutt was used in the London production.
Vivienne Franzmann
Vivienne Franzman is a British playwright from Walthamstow, whose debut play Mogadishu was critically acclaimed in its premiere at the Royal Exchange in Manchester and in its transference to the Lyric Theatre in London in 2011. With Dominic Cavendish of The Telegraph calling it 'the play of the...
concerning a white teacher who tries to protect her black student from expulsion after he pushes her to the ground, but in order to protect himself the student lies and drags her into a vortex of lies in which victim becomes perpetrator. It was first produced by Royal Exchange Theatre in Manchester
Manchester
Manchester is a city and metropolitan borough in Greater Manchester, England. According to the Office for National Statistics, the 2010 mid-year population estimate for Manchester was 498,800. Manchester lies within one of the UK's largest metropolitan areas, the metropolitan county of Greater...
before it was transferred to the Lyric Theatre in Hammersmith
Hammersmith
Hammersmith is an urban centre in the London Borough of Hammersmith and Fulham in west London, England, in the United Kingdom, approximately five miles west of Charing Cross on the north bank of the River Thames...
, London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
. The play recently came was one of four joint inners of the Bruntwood Playwriting Competition and the George Devine Award 2011.
Plot Summary
In a tough LondonLondon
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
secondary school teacher, Amanda, is pushed to the ground by black student, Jason, when she tries to intervene in a fight between him and a younger foreign student Firas. Ignoring her daughter Becky's advice to report him she resists from telling the Headmaster, Chris, for fear of ruining his future and knowing his history, one which she refuses to reveal to Becky, she feels sorry for him. Finally persuaded, she mentions this to Chris the next day who is suspicious of why she has waited so long.
Jason meanwhile has enlisted his on off girlfriend Dee and friends Chug, Saif, Jordan and Chloe to back up his story that Amanda pushed him first and racially abused him. They are resistant for a while but soon change their minds, Chris is forced to take the claims seriously and sends Amanda home.
Becky is enraged at their lies and turns to her black step father Peter to support her, telling Amanda to take the situation seriously and contact her union
Trade union
A trade union, trades union or labor union is an organization of workers that have banded together to achieve common goals such as better working conditions. The trade union, through its leadership, bargains with the employer on behalf of union members and negotiates labour contracts with...
. Refusing to blow the situation out of proportion she doesn't, but is soon suspended as the kids stick to their stories with even Firas admitting he didn't see what happened.
Amanda feels betrayed by Chris and above all Jason. Chris calls Jason and his father into school, Jason's father turns out to be quite an intimidating figure but after getting Jason's assurance that he is telling the truth demands to know why Chris hasn't yet reported the incident to the police. Chris agrees to do so.
Jason asks his friends to go to the police to volunteer a statement against Amanda, they eventually agree to do so. Waiting late at night for their phonecall to tell him what happened at the station his father interrupts him and is furious at him for breaking house rules over late night phone calls answering a call from Dee and telling her that Jason wets the bed.
Under severe pressure from Becky Amanda admits the reason that she feels sorry for Jason is because his mother killed himself. Becky then begs Firas to tell Chris that he saw Amanda be pushed and not the other way round, he agrees and tells the friends this. Jason is furious and suspects that they didn't really go to the police, after a fight where he slaps Dee they desert him.
Becky confronts Jason alone in the playground and reveals that her own father killed himself, hanging himself with a Homer Simpson
Homer Simpson
Homer Jay Simpson is a fictional character in the animated television series The Simpsons and the patriarch of the eponymous family. He is voiced by Dan Castellaneta and first appeared on television, along with the rest of his family, in The Tracey Ullman Show short "Good Night" on April 19, 1987...
tie she had given him for Christmas, Jason is cold towards this revelation even when she reveals scars across her legs and arms from self harm. They argue furiously and Becky taunts him over his dead mother.
The friends led by Dee admit to having lied to Chris who can then drop the charges. Jason is seen in his house making a noose for himself in the kitchen and hanging himself. Amanda returns to school but betrayed by the system she put so much faith in refuses to accept Dee's apology and tells Chris that she doesn't want to return to school anymore.
Production
The play's premiere was at the Royal ExchangeRoyal Exchange, Manchester
The Royal Exchange is a grade II listed Victorian building in Manchester, England. It is located in the city centre on the land bounded by St Ann’s Square, Exchange Street, Market Street, Cross Street and Old Bank Street...
in Manchester
Manchester
Manchester is a city and metropolitan borough in Greater Manchester, England. According to the Office for National Statistics, the 2010 mid-year population estimate for Manchester was 498,800. Manchester lies within one of the UK's largest metropolitan areas, the metropolitan county of Greater...
before transferring to the Lyric Theatre in Hammersmith
Hammersmith
Hammersmith is an urban centre in the London Borough of Hammersmith and Fulham in west London, England, in the United Kingdom, approximately five miles west of Charing Cross on the north bank of the River Thames...
, London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
. It recivied generally very favourable reviews with Dominic Cavendish of The Telegraph
The Daily Telegraph
The Daily Telegraph is a daily morning broadsheet newspaper distributed throughout the United Kingdom and internationally. The newspaper was founded by Arthur B...
saying; The play of the year? In my book, quite possibly. In manchester originally performed in the round the same design by Tom Scutt was used in the London production.
| Character | Original Cast, 2011 |
|---|---|
| Director | Matthew Dunster |
| Amanda | Julia Ford Julia Ford Julia Ford is a British actress who has appeared in a variety of theatre, film, radio and television productions, including Waking the Dead, Silent Witness, Midsomer Murders and All About George, The Street, Red Riding, Coming Down The Mountain, In A Land of Plenty, Insiders, Island at War... |
| Jason | Malachi Kirby |
| Chris | Ian Bartholomew Ian Bartholomew Ian Bartholomew is an English actor who has worked widely in both theatre and television.In television Bartholomew's work has ranged from The Darling Buds of May, Rumpole of the Bailey, Minder, and more recently, Making Waves and Spooks.... |
| Peter | Christian Dixon |
| Ben | Frazer James |
| Becky | Shannon Tarbet Shannon Tarbet Shannon Tarbet is a British actress from Brighton. Having studied at K-Bis Theatre College in Brighton she left school and worked in a bookies. She came to public attention in 2010 with her critically acclaimed professional stage debut as Delilah Evans in Spur of the Moment by Anya Reiss directed... |
| Saif | Farshid Rokey |
| Chuggs | Tendayi Jembere Tendayi Jembere Tendayi Jembere aka TJ, Tee J is a British actor who is best known for his part in the television show Kerching! 2003 where he played the character of Seymour who was the best friend of Taj Lewis who was the lead character.He grew up in East London... |
| Jordon | Hammed Animashaun |
| Dee | Savannah Gordon-Liburd |
| Firas | Michael Karim |
| Chloe | Tara Hodge |