Writer: Tom Wright
Director: Rikki Beadle-Blair
Ms Senabo is on her first day teaching Personal, Social and Health Education in a multi-cultural Coventry high school. In her class we find Natasha, a confident Black British loudmouth; Vikram, South-Asian British 
who appears to be an uncomplicated troublemaker in class; the studious and ultimately easily-led Mary, South-Asian British and Muslim – her parents gave her the name Mary in an attempt to help her fit in and Leon, Natasha’s mixed heritage boyfriend who sees professional sport as his way out and is openly homophobic towards Cieren, who is white, outrageously camp and who maintains a brittle shield.
We see the class engaging in hard-edged banter as well as their testing of the new teacher, pushing the boundaries relentlessly. But there is more to these teens than sometimes discomforting banter – and be warned, there is extremely strong language thrown about apparently lightly in their exchanges. Each is impacted by their perceived place in society, perceptions that are only strengthened as time goes on.
Subsequent scenes explore the relationships between these five. We see Leon and Natasha groping towards a place where they can say ‘I love you’ and mean it – all the time sharing selfies online. Natasha and Cieren have cleaved together working in McDonalds. They’re best friends – maybe Cieren is filling the gap left in Natasha’s life after the death of her older brother at the hands of the police. Then something happens that will change all of them, polarising opinions: Natasha receives a video from Cieren – a video she calls out as gay porn involving Cieren and faceless others. Leon is baffled and angry – why would Cieren send this, knowing Leon and Natasha are together? In an instant Leon has shared the video across the school, setting in motion a sequence of events causing layers to be cast aside as views become entrenched and dangerous. We learn more about each character: some become more manipulative, some have secrets they desperately need to keep private, some are led into actions that they might not have expected themselves capable of. Almost all become more extreme in their views and a vicious fight between Team White and Team Black becomes ever more inevitable.
Writer Tom Wright has constructed a plausible sequence of events, one that allows extreme views to exist and even be propagated. There are moments of humour – the attempts of Mark, Cieren’s brother and supervisor at McDonalds, to parrot and enforce the equal opportunities statements at work being an example. The well-observed dialogue contains barely a mis-step: occasionally, though, characters make speeches that sometimes use phrasing that is a touch at odds with the street slang they mostly use between themselves and as a shield with adults. Brisk direction from Rikki Beadle-Blair carries the story well, with the use of video projections especially effective. Beadle-Blair also created the harsh, empty monochromatic design, echoing the empty present and futures these characters believe they face. Scenes of violence, in particular, are well crafted and shocking leading to a somehow inevitable ending. The young cast – for most of whom it’s their first professional engagement – cope extremely well with the subject matter, enabling us to believe in them and for the twists and turns in their relationships to be entirely credible.
I Ain’t Dumb is not a cosily easy watch. The events are all too clearly drawn from reality and unapologetically presented without sugar-coating. Nevertheless, it’s an important piece to support the understanding of all of us how individuals can react when they feel trapped and with nowhere to go and no option, they feel, other than to react as others expect them to. Powerful stuff, indeed.
Runs until 12 February 2022
