“Our Generation”: An Honest Representation of the Lives of Today’s Teens
Georgia Flynn
The National Theatre’s production of Our Generation brings to life the stories of twelve teenagers of varying ages and backgrounds all around the UK as they try to navigate the trials and tribulations of their teenage years in the environment of this generation. This production features a very organic dialogue, full of stuttering words, “likes”, “ums”, giggles, and natural emotion, making myself in the audience feel as if I were really getting to know the characters. This organic dialogue was taken a step further by “confessional” moments where the characters would break the fourth wall and speak to the audience about developments in their lives, anxieties, ect. This conscious choice by playwright Alecky Blythe to steer away from more formal lines and dialogue created a much more personal connection between the audience and the characters. The language also felt much more appropriate and comfortable for the “teenage” image of the actors on stage.
This production really stands apart because of the diverse set of storylines it features. Not only is this cast of characters racially and ethnically diverse, but Blythe seamlessly creates representation of a wider range of teen experiences. For example, Taylor is not held back by his wheelchair in the slightest but rather excels in sports such as basketball and shotput. His storyline is not focused around his disability, but who he is as a person and his goals and relationships. Annabella shows us the experience of a tumultuous parent/child relationship and the difficulties of dealing with loving a parent but having to put yourself first. Ieram struggles with fitting in and friendships. Luan works to keep his ego in check and his Kosovan parents off his back about his academic shortcomings as he excels on the basketball court. However different their experiences may be, all of these teens experience many of the same insecurities and hardships as is shown creatively by all of the characters coming onstage into a grid of 12 squares (one for each character) and breaking into a spoken word/dance break of sorts where an issue is highlighted, such as growing up in the age of technology, body image issues, or stress about exams.
Another great element of this play is the casting. Not only are the characters multifaceted and fully fleshed out, but the casting of this play highlights the dialogue immensely by adding actors who really pulled the comedic elements to the surface and are able to play heartfelt and emotional scenes as well as leaving the audience in fits of laughter. Brother and sister Ali and Ayesha show this duality particularly. Though constantly bickering and poking fun at each other, their classic sibling relationship and big personalities are a large comedic element in this play, though the actors are also able to portray a difficult event with meaningfully solemnity as well.
In the third section of the play there is an unmistakable break with the introduction of Covid-19. The teens take the stage for this act in socks and sweatpants as we watch them experience hopelessness, stress, and addiction to their phones during lockdown. This act introduces topics like mental health and realizing that the traditional transition of school to more school to a successful job is not always the right path for everyone to follow. The portrayal of Covid-19 in entertainment mediums is still relatively new and can often rub an audience the wrong way. People come to places like the theatre to escape reality and being hit with a reminder of how things have changed and how hard life is does not always go over well. However, this production was able to portray the pandemic in a realistic and tasteful way. As a young person myself I can relate to this feeling of missing out on experiences due to Covid-19 in these formative years of my life, which Blythe was able to really capture in these characters.
Overall, this production shows a really creative take on the lives of young people in this generation, battling the classic hardships of the teenage years along with some unique ones, like social media and the pandemic. However, the production seemed unnecessarily long which was highlighted by the incessant talking of the confessionals and the cast on stage, which got a bit tiresome. Despite this, the length of the play allows the audience to really get to know the characters, and the representation of a host of teenage experiences as well as common struggles faced by them all is certain to captivate your attention.
