Chalk Farm

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Recalling the riots of 2011, the words that stick like barbs in the memory are those accusatorily hurled in the heat of rage. “Scum of the earth.” “Pigs.” “Chavs.” While Kieran Hurley and AJ Taudevin’s new play might also be peppered with those words, their exploration of the riots asks for compassion rather than demonisation, understanding in place of blame.

The riots are a backdrop rather than a focus, with the plot instead revolving around the loving but strained relationship between a single mother, Maggie, and her teenage son Jamie. In the face of blame and prejudice, Maggie pours all her hopes into her child, working hard and biting back bile for his sake. Jamie, meanwhile, is awkwardly caught between boy and man, still clutching his Batman lunchbox as his optimistic childhood fantasies slide away from him.

The pair’s story is told through a series of monologues and exchanges, weaving together old memories and fresh impressions: the view they used to share from their Chalk Farm flat, the fear Maggie feels for her son, Jamie’s thrill of excitement during the riots. In ThickSkin’s production, these are supplemented by imposing television screens, suggesting the omnipresence of both CCTV and the media, although the assault of images sometimes undermines the powerful simplicity of the storytelling.

Despite flaws, the value of this piece lies in its insistence on empathy without repentance and an attempt to understand while refusing to reduce complexity in favour of easy answers. Because, as Jamie eloquently recognises, the riots were “about everything and nothing.”