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Saana Sze's blistering writing brings the political issues that surround education to life through intense drama and a compelling character, making important issues accessible.Summary
Rating
Good
Saana Sze is an exciting new voice, a queer British-Ugandan writer/educator who won the 2022 ETPEP Award. Belly of the Beast at Finborough Theatre, which addresses issues such as race, gender and the purpose of education, is their first full-length play.
Two narratives, separated by time, play out in parallel. Both follow Martha, a black non-binary person living in a deprived area of East London. One follows YoungMartha, a teenager navigating the difficulties of studying at an under resourced school. The other follows NowMartha returning to the same school as a trainee teacher, hoping to be the nurturing figure they needed when they were young. These simultaneous stories are used effectively to explore the student/teacher relationship.
Sze is a talented writer, and the script is moving and fast paced, covering two stories and complex political themes in a tight 90 minutes. They use appropriate language, both slang for YoungMartha and the technical language of the teaching profession for NowMartha, which creates an immersive experience. Language is used effectively throughout, such as the other teachers being referred to as “Miss Maths Teacher,” “Sir Science Teacher,” “Mentor” or “Department Head”. This keeps the characters as icons, representing positions of power, and makes clear who in the wide support cast is being referred to. A few characters are furnished with specific details that effectively bring them to life.
Language is further explored when NowMartha communicates with their students by understanding them in their own vernacular, and thus conveying to them the themes of Macbeth, which they are teaching. This shows the positive impact NowMartha is having before the inevitable collision with the institution.
The script effortlessly weaves in debates around how education is provided in the UK, especially for the less affluent. By using the story of a student and a teacher, both conflicting with the education system, the big political debates are incorporated into the drama in a way that adds to the tension. The similarities between student and teacher are explored. At two different points in time, a black non-binary person from a poor background faces off against institutions that were not created for them, does not accommodate their needs, and does not care for them.
YongMartha tries to keep their head down in their violent environment but inevitably runs into the injustice of the school’s discipline. NowMartha tries to be a supportive figure for a young non-binary student but encounters prejudice and institutional inertia. Both lack a voice speaking up for them, even those who try are ineffectual and are slapped down by authority figures. This is both emotional to watch and develops the larger political arguments.
The great writing is brought to life by strong performances from Sam Bampoe-Parry as YoungMartha and Shiloh Coke as NowMartha. There is some hesitation in the delivery of the dialogue and a few misspoken lines, but these do not prevent me from being swept up in the fast-moving narrative.
Tension rises throughout, however when the character drama and political forces collide at the end it does not deliver the most emotionally intense scene. Rather an earlier violent scene detailing an attack on a bus raises the emotional register, which results in the climax feeling more like a denouement.
Sze’s powerful writing brings the complex issue of what schools are for to life through intense drama and a compelling character. The focus on one character, exploring the different sides of the student/teacher relationship, means that the political issues raise the tension, adding to the strength of the narrative.
Written by: Saana Sze
Directed by: Dadiow Lin
Set and Costume Design by: Delyth Evans
Lighting Design by: Arnim Friess
Presented by: Clarisse Makundul Productions and Neil McPherson for the Finborough Theatre
Belly of the Beast plays at the Finborough Theatre until 1st February.
Further information and booking are available here.
