Last year, our gala performance of Mogadishu, a play about a teacher facing false allegations, ran with rave reviews in London and Manchester.

If you didn't manage to see the play first time around, it will now be embarking on a UK tour, beginning on 30 January 2012, in Liverpool, Cambridge, Oxford, Warwick, Newcastle, Southampton and Northampton.

For information on booking at a venue near you, click on the PDF link at the bottom of this page.

We put our questions to teacher and playwright Vivienne Franzmann ahead of the Mogadishu debut in March 2011.

Great Teacher: What is Mogadishu about?

Vivienne Franzmann: Mogadishu is about a female teacher who is assaulted at work by a student who then, anticipating trouble, falsely accuses her of assault and racism. He then coerces his friends to collude with his account of events and the play follows the consequences of this.

GT: Why did you decide to write Mogadishu ?

VF: I always wanted to write a play and one night I went to dinner with a friend of mine who had experienced a false accusation and we were speaking about the impact of it. I used the idea as my starting point. She is an amazing teacher who is very warm and generous and I thought if this could happen to her, it could happen to any of us. I started thinking about students who accuse teachers and their motivations, and became really interested in what might lead other students to collude with them. I spoke to different people about their experiences and the ways in which different schools responded to false allegations. Everyone agreed that it was a really difficult and stressful experience.

GT: Do you think these kinds of issues are common in schools?

VF: I know two teachers that have had false allegations made against them and, in talking to colleagues, I think most teachers in urban schools know of at least one person who has experienced this. I think it's a hard one for schools to deal with, because obviously allegations have to be taken seriously and there are procedures in place that need to be adhered to. I think it's an interesting contemporary idea that young people today are keenly aware of their rights and the play explores what happens when this knowledge is abused.

GT : Have you ever been affected by the kinds of issues, you have written about in the play?

VF: The play is bigger than just the allegation. It deals with fear, loss, abuse, power, loneliness, parenting, friendship and I think everyone has experienced some of these things, so yes, in the bigger picture.

GT: Was it difficult to write about something so close to home, but make sure that no one was offended or upset?

VF: I found writing the play fairly straightforward, because I feel like I know the world of school having spent 12 years teaching. I wanted to capture the energy and vitality of young people's dialogue, which I think some people might find shocking. As a playwright, I don't think you can write effectively if you are worrying about offending people - you have to write what you want to write and if people are offended or upset, so be it.

GT: How do you feel about the government's decision to provide teachers with anonymity if an allegation has been made against them?

VF: I don't think it's helpful to anyone involved if it is made public knowledge when it's being investigated so anonymity seems reasonable to me.

GT: Are you still teaching?

VF: I work part time in a school in London. I took a year off last year to concentrate on writing, but I found that I really missed it. I like all the different elements of teaching; the students, my subject, the staff, the laughs, so I decided to get a job that allowed me to experience those things and give me time to write as well.

GT: What advice would you give to other teachers who want to write?

VF: I would say you need to make time for it. You need something outside of school. Often, as teachers, we get consumed by our work, I know I did for many years; you need to make time and space in your life to write, even if it's just ten minutes a day.

GT: Do you plan to write more?

VF: Yes, I have been commissioned to write a play for a great company called Clean Break who work with women in prisons and I have also been commissioned by the Royal Court, which I am working on at the moment.

GT: What makes a great teacher?

VF: Lots of things make a great teacher: liking young people, love and passion for your subject, patience, sense of humour, organisation, energy, commitment, belief in the importance of your role, creativity, the list goes on……

The spring edition of our Supporter magazine is out now. In this issue we are focusing on what happens to a teacher when a false allegation is made. These allegations can destroy lives and we want to tell you what you can do, in association with your union, to help teachers through this difficult process.

A one off gift of £25 will pay for one of the counselling sessions a teacher needs during the allegation process.

A regular gift of just £2 per month will help us to give ongoing support for up to a year to help a teacher cleared of an allegation get back to work or to find a new job.

 

To find out more and to donate, click here.

Attached file(s):
• Mogadishu_Tour.jpg