Proper Clever

Published Friday 10 October 2008 at 11:30 by Chris High

Frank Cottrell-Boyce doesn’t write children’s stories. He writes stories that interest children as much as adults. Judging by the reaction this - his first stage play - received, he’s done a pretty good job of it.

It’s no mean feat keeping those of mid-teens quiet for five minutes without their play stations or mobile phones, let alone a whole 90 minutes. And that’s what Proper Clever is about - how today’s youths are missing out by confining themselves to their bedrooms, communicating by machine and so called social networking websites.

The thing is, thanks to some fabulous performances, a dazzlingly effective set and some innovative use of video imagery, the play never becomes a lecture and yet still manages to get its message across. In fact, if there is one quibble, it is that the first section of the play, in which the scene is set through a lot of imaginative text speak, could be trimmed a little.

Samantha Robinson playing Bex - a girl who would rather be anyone but herself and mainly wants to be her WAG wannabe school friend, Riley - is so full of enthusiasm, her every action stands out. Rhian Jayne Bull, too, as the somewhat nerdish Rachel is quirkily endearing and draws some of the biggest “ahhs” to be heard from a young audience this side of Bambi. Ellena Stacey, the glamorous Riley, and Sarah Ozeke, plain, sensible Claire, are playing characters who are polar opposites with great effect. And the two boys, Adetomiwa Edun as the almost entirely silent film buff, Patrick and Adam Gillen, the star-gazer Matthew, are worth the price of the ticket alone.

Proper Clever, in the main, is just that and Frank Cottrell-Boyce has once again produced something that, whether you’re 14 or 40, you’re going to love.