Tessa is a teacher... or writer... or teacher... Not qualified for much, at 25, Tessa is a failed fringe writer, a sponge for her partner and tasked with inspiring the future with a GCSE class more focused on her demise than their exams. Mid-Twenties angst is real. With no answers, can Tessa, really, teach anyone... anything”
The play follows comprehensive school teacher Tessa, who is a reluctant educator and a rejected visionary. At 25, Tessa believes herself to be a failed writer, is a provider for her partner and a rather surly teacher. All this coalesces for Tessa to be, perhaps, the worst example of “those that can do, those that can’t teach.” Tessa’s GCSE class sits in a crucial year... Tessa may come to see that everyone has needs- even teenagers. Can Tessa surprise us all and learn to grow, or will her report card read “could try harder?” Coming up against the bureaucracy of the education system won’t make her life easy. If you’ve ever felt your life was teetering on a brink, with everyone asking what you’ll do next and kids driving you mad... you’re in the right place.
Tobi King Bakare and this theatre deserve a shout-out for such a young, diverse audience. There is so much talk about audiences being full of over 60s and why, why can’t theatres get the crowds in to reflect society in general? Well, I’m happy to say that on a rainy Thursday evening, the theatre was completely full.
Caiti Grove on Before I Go in CPT's Spring 2023 season London Theatre Reviews
