NT Connections Festival – The Animals performed by Barnet & Southgate College

Student teacher Sam arrives at Redhill Youth Custody Secure Unit hoping to enrich the troubled residents’ lives there by introducing them to the subject of Philosophy.

The wary class resist engaging in this alien, ancient art of thinking at first, but start to thaw when they find themselves being challenged and empowered in ways they haven’t previously experienced. Yet the hope Sam’s teaching offers them is fragile, particularly for hard fronting Gee, who’s on the verge of being released from the unit and is secretly terrified at this prospect.

A bruising, moving, surprising drama about education within the Youth Custody System and the power of creative thought.

Sean Buckley is a playwright and screenwriter from south London. Plays include Matches for Monkeys (Verity Bargate Award) Between Dog and Wolf (Paines Plough/Oran Mor) and Smithereens (Young Vic/Paines Plough). Audio dramas include Stone Baby and Donation (both Radio 3). Writing for screen includes Skins (E4) Polar Bear (Inflammable films/Film 4) and Responsible Child (Kudos/BBC2) – BAFTA nominated and International Emmy Award. Previously Writer in Residence with the Royal Shakespeare Company (Pearson Award) and BBC Radio Drama, studied at Ecole Jaques Lecoq.

This event is part of the NT Connections Festival at artsdepot.