Education, Education, Education – Oxford Playhouse

Writer: The Wardrobe Ensemble

Director: Paul Simpson

It’s 1997. Tony Blair’s government has swept to power with a landslide, stating his priorities as ‘education, education, education’.  And we are in a school …

For the annual showcase of the Playhouse’s outreach programme for 17 – 25 year olds, Paul Simpson has taken up the Bristol-based Wardrobe Ensemble’s 2017 piece, which explores this situation – though there is little in it that seems particularly time-specific. The anguish and friction of school life would appear to be an eternal truth.

Choosing to set the production on the main stage behind the curtain, three-sides-in-the-round, makes it easier for the actors to engage with the audience, but also brings some difficulty with the acoustics, and occasionally projection is defeated by the soundtrack of period music. But they all engage with Immy Howard’s simple but effective set: a set of school wallbars acting as a noticeboard, two blackboards doubling as doors, two constantly shifting tables – and, of course, strip lighting.

Perspective is provided by Josh Prior’s expat German language teacher, Tobias. At once a participant and an outsider, he observes compassionately the struggles of the rest – Mary Martin’s frustrated head teacher Louise, the discipline problems of Kara Leigh’s Sue, the fights between bolshie Emily and Angus Godfrey’s bullying teacher Mr McIntyre. And, after some slower establishment of characters, the plot builds towards confrontation and a dramatic climax.

It is exciting to see the participants in this programme reaching the stage of performance, and several of them show real promise. Olive Holding is engaging as Mrs Hughes, a senior teacher; Joshua Hyde establishes his character Tim as a weedy, gawky misfit; Maia Bradley makes a subtly troublesome school receptionist, repeatedly intruding into the action.

But it is Martha Paxton-Doggett whose characterisation dominates the show. As Emily Greenslade, she communicates all that adolescent angst which makes both friends and enemies, as she battles with Mr McIntyre to be allowed to go on the school trip to York. And the escalating tension reaches a well-staged peak as she is on the brink of jumping to her death. Her diction and movement are consistently accurate enough to bring the audience with her, and the effectiveness of the whole piece owes much to her.

Timing is sometimes hesitant, and the occasional forays into audience participation do not always add to the play, but the whole enterprise leaves an overwhelmingly positive impression.

Runs until 21 March 2026