The Lesson at Theatre503

An underfunded secondary school in South West London. A slowly crumbling drama studio. A rapidly crumbling education system.

With her ‘big girl hero teacher pants’ on, Clara has just three days to save Daniella from being kicked out of mainstream education.

Battled against an unforgiving school structure, an uncooperative superior and four unruly teenage girls – will Clara be able to save her job let alone anyone else?

Inspired by Emma Anderson’s time as a drama teacher in a London academy school, The Lesson is an unflinching look at the reality of the UK’s state-education structure, the ever-growing strain on teachers and the young people who fall through the cracks of the flawed system.

The Lesson was a finalist for the 2019 Papatango New Writing Prize.