Dismissed by Daniel Rusteau ★★☆☆☆
In the 12 months leading up to March 2022, 99 young people under 25 were murdered with a knife or sharp object —13 of them were under 16. (The Ben Kinsella Trust, 2023) The continued issue of knife crime in the UK is why plays like Dismissed are very much needed; to continue to shed light on a serious problem affecting the lives of young people. As well as acknowledging how this issue can impact schools and the ripple effect that knife crime has on its victims, perpetrators, and those around them.
As you walk into Soho Theatre Upstairs there is a basic set up of a school staff room; some tables and chairs and a clock on the wall showing the time as 8:10am. This is where the play starts, with the staff gathered for a meeting before school begins. We are introduced to the Head Teacher and three other teachers, and we begin to learn more about each of them in this opening scene and throughout the play. There is Head Teacher Susan who is assertive, direct and takes control. Teacher Ashley is relatively new to the profession and fiercely passionate about the students she teachers. Teacher Dennis, Ashley’s confidante, who wants to do the right thing. Lastly, Teacher Jonathan who is an ally to Susan and the funniest character in the play with his dry humour.
We quickly learn about an incident in which a student’s brother has been stabbed. There are rumours flying around that Tyler (a character not represented in the play) was involved and there is also some concern that there may be retaliation. Soon after this, the main storyline begins as Ashley tells Dennis that she’s found Tyler in possession of a knife. Ashley umms and aaahs before making the Headteacher Susan aware, who then quickly declares that Tyler will be excluded as a result of his actions.
At this point, the play loses its integrity as Ashley goes on a relentless campaign to save Tyler from exclusion. She hounds Susan trying to get her to change her mind, and attempts to get Jonathan to do the same, however this ultimately backfires. Ashley also leads a petition and threatens Susan with a range of actions if she does not go back on her decision.
A lot of what is depicted is farfetched, unrealistic, and unprofessional. The portrayal of the school teachers and some of their actions was questionable and took away from what is a serious and prevalent issue affecting schools. Half way through the play we are introduced to Tyler’s Mum. The portrayal of this character as young, loud and brash played into stereotypes about the types of families those involved in youth violence come from and missed a trick in changing the narrative here. The play also did not do justice to educator bias relating to race and class, instead it clumsily insinuates that Susan’s decision to permanently exclude Tyler had more to do with his race and less to do with his actions.
Ashley’s mention of the potential outcomes for Tyler if excluded is backed up by research from London’s Violent Reduction Unit; young people excluded from school are more likely to get involved in crime, so Ashley’s persistent approach to save Tyler was understandable. Schools are meant to be safe, nurturing places for students both educationally and pastorally. However, schools also have a duty to safeguard all students and there are systems in place that unfortunately don’t allow for this issue to be brushed under the carpet.
Dismissed had a strong message to share but unfortunately the execution was not quite right.
You can watch Dismissed at Soho Theatre until 03 June.