Hannah Lavery constructs her play from simple sentences. Her language is clear and direct. Each line builds on the last, with primary-school economy. At first, the picture she paints is unremarkable. It is all relay races, bird watching and maths classes. We hear about grandmas, fathers and big brothers. It is as familiar as the monkey bars on Amy Jane Cook’s pastel-coloured set with its pleasing geometric shapes.
In interlinking monologues, we meet Alice (Kirsty MacLaren), determined to triumph in the school sports day; Jade (Tamara Fairbairn), certain her family history can enrich the curriculum; and Chloe (Esmé Kingdom), wishing she could connect with people as well as she can the environment. Excellently played, they are eager to please, prone to extravagant bursts of energy and, beneath it all, vexed about a world that is not quite right. [READ MORE]