Supplementing their work in PSHE lessons on Drug and Alcohol Education, boys in Y7 and Y8 participated in a live theatre and interactive workshop tackling underage drinking with positive thinking with the theatre company: Smashed on Thursday 27 April.
Through the powerful theatre experience and workshop that followed, the boys observed, explored and reflected on vital underage drinking themes, including the social and emotional causes, the impact on young lives, social influence and decision-making, and where and how to seek support.
The boys handled the subject with great maturity as they explored the themes raised and the characters’ choices, answering questions on what attitudes drove them to do what they did. How do they feel now? What could they do differently to get a better outcome?
The boys rapidly identified the causes and consequences of underage drinking by interacting with the characters. Then, playing director, they re-shaped the story using the forum theatre technique, a concept that they were familiar with through drama lessons, to develop new attitudes and behaviours to help them make the right choices in their own lives.
Speaking after the experience, Mrs Gordon told us, “The performance by Smashed helped to put the dangers of underage drinking into context in a way that the boys could engage with, whilst also highlighting its risks. It highlighted the relationship between peer pressure and underage drinking and gave the boys insight into how to identify influences and manage them. It also, importantly, impressed upon the boys that they have choices and that it is good to talk to friends, family, teachers and support services, such as Childline, if they are worried or have questions on how to be safe”.
