Written by Hannah Lavery

Directed by Natalie Ibu

The significant power of young voices is central in this year’s Imaginate programmes, and arguably no other production captures this messaging better than Lavery’s commissioned Protest.

Commissioned and backed by Fuel, Imaginate, National Theatre of Scotland and Northern Stage, Protest captures the innocent nature of playground politics, with Natalie Ibu’s direction initially stoking up the fires of imagination and connection rather than the concerns of high-stakes outcomes or drama. It’s a close-knit atmosphere and one initially speaking to children, though those younger than eight may begin to waver as the more innocent framing cracks. Graffiti plagues the walk to school; the strewn trash and destruction of the local woodland begin to tighten Protest up in its supporting call of action.

Arguably, the intrinsic strength of Lavery’s script is the simplicity and precise messaging of the trip of inter-woven sections of prose creating more of a narrative than a strict series of monologues. It’s contrasted with relatively straightforward sentences, direct and clear to the audience without pandering. Protest has faith in its younger audiences and doesn’t bury itself in jargon or attempts to bridge the generational gap – it communicates with respect, but while the construction of the writing may pitch to a welcoming crowd, the world surrounding the words isn’t always as captivating.

Kirty MacLaren is first off the mark, fitting given her character Alice’s (Kirsty MacLaren) talent for sprinting. They’re determined to compete and achieve a well-deserved triumph in the school relay race, but despite being the fastest, are still playing second fiddle to the boys in her class. Jade (Tamara Fairbairn) meanwhile is sure that her family history has a place within the school curriculum; Chloe (Esmé Kingdom) struggles to connect with people as quickly as she does the birds and the environment she protects.

All three perform their roles with a degree of excellence, never missing a beat and maintaining an easy-to-follow flow as the narrative begins to interweave tighter. There are oodles of energy unleashed upon Amy Jane Cook’s pastel-coloured playground set as the trio run, jump, and climb their way into physically expressing their vexations about the world as they gradually realise it may not be as just and fair as initially thought. Fairbairn achieves a direct connection with the audience quickly, emotions pitched at the surface, but never getting in the way of Lavery’s words or the other’s performances.

Gradually, the collective action across the separate paths aligns more steadily, forming a powerful and united frontal voice as the girls come together – the fathers, grandmothers, teachers, and neighbours we encounter along the way forming a resistance behind them. But so too do we. The audience are no longer viewers, but an incorporated communal form as we rise up together, banners and cheers joining the voices onstage.

Aspects of the pacing do grind somewhat as Protest shifts around the middle portion before the avenues of the three girls align more. There is still excitement to the action, aided with sudden light changes and the occasionally bombastic audio effect, but the narrative’s place within the past, being told at present, does dip the engagement somewhat for a few of those below the suggested age range.

But there is heaping wry observation, as some of the adult characters blunder their way into ridiculous statements without malice – an all-too-common affliction. Elements come over as being directed at the adults in the room rather than younger audiences, but let’s face it – we’re not in this situation because of children not listening or learning from past mistakes. Protest is urgent, a politically relevant and culturally charged but recognisable piece of theatre for those engaging with classmates or those who left those school days many a moon ago.