#publisher alternate (BUTTON) Close Skip to main content sign in * Saved for later * Comment activity * Edit profile * Email preferences * Change password * Sign out subscribe search dating more from the guardian: * dating * jobs change edition: * switch to the UK edition switch to the US edition switch to the AU edition International * switch to the UK edition * switch to the US edition * switch to the Australia edition The Guardian * home * › culture * › stage * classical * film * tv & radio * music * games * books * art & design * home * UK * world * sport * football * opinion * culture selected * business * lifestyle * fashion * environment * tech * travel browse all sections close Theatre The Observer God Bless the Child review – entertaining satire of formulaic teaching 3 / 5 stars Jerwood Theatre Upstairs, Royal Court, London The kids are more than all right in this marvellous send-up of positive thinking in a primary school god bless the child ‘Beautifully clear’ Nancy Allsop and friends in God Bless the Child at the Royal Court. Photograph: Tristram Kenton Kate Kellaway Sunday 30 November 2014 00.07 GMT * Share on Facebook * Share on Twitter * Share via Email * Share on Pinterest * Share on LinkedIn * Share on Google+ * Share on WhatsApp Stepping into the Theatre Upstairs is a return to primary school, thanks to Chloe Lambard’s convincing set: named pegs, collages (“4N loves autumn”) and a reading corner. The children (eight- and nine-year-olds) give marvellous, unselfconscious performances in Vicky Featherstone’s gripping production of God Bless the Child. We, the audience, turn into school inspectors. School can be a theatre of the absurd too. Molly Davies has worked as a teacher and this is an entertaining, satisfying satire on formulaic teaching and mindlessly positive thinking. Castlegrave Community Primary school is putting into practice “Badger Do Best” – a rigid scheme (with toy badger superintending) to improve children’s behaviour. “Behaviour is big at the moment,” bleats beleaguered head Ms Evitt (Nikki Amuka-Bird). Her agenda is far from hidden: if the author of Badger Do Best approves, they will get funding to build an annexe. Ony Uhiara plays Ms Newsome with floundering gaiety. Her class sings – in unison – about individuality. But one child: Louie (beautifully clear Nancy Allsop) is already starting to mutiny. Amanda Abbington is excellent as Sali Rayner, inventor of the scheme – cringe-makingly bogus. The only person to embody naturalness is old-school classroom assistant Mrs Bradley (empathetic Julia Hesmondhalgh) complete with baggy cardy and sense of humour. It a thoroughly enjoyable evening and Davies has bags of talent – but makes her case too well, too soon. There is not much of a developing argument. She needs to ask herself: “What would you do differently next time, badger?” • God Bless the Child is at the Jerwood Theatre Upstairs, Royal Court, London SW1 until 20 December __________________________________________________________________ More reviews Topics * Theatre * Teaching __________________________________________________________________ * Share on Facebook * Share on Twitter * Share via Email * Share on Pinterest * Share on LinkedIn * Share on Google+ * Share on WhatsApp * Reuse this content View all comments > comments Sign in or create your Guardian account to join the discussion. This discussion is closed for comments. We’re doing some maintenance right now. You can still read comments, but please come back later to add your own. Commenting has been disabled for this account (why?) 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