The Blue Room Theatre was buzzing as audiences filed in for Recess Duty, delighted to find the space filled with inspirational quotes, student artwork and desks cluttered with learning aids. Before the show, well-themed house music filled the space, with classic hits from the likes of Peter Combe and Slim Dusty. If it wasn’t obvious beforehand, a dead giveaway that the audience was full of educators was an impromptu sing-along to these primary school assembly classics. 

In the show, we’re introduced to a range of teacher stereotypes: Maree Cole as Deb, the good but tired teacher desperate for a non-teaching role. Hannah Anderson as Sharron, the Montessori convert who prefers crafting over structured learning. Tadhg Lawrence as James, the loveable male teacher who all the children adore. Lastly, producer Amy Fortnum plays Lucy, the prac-student with great intentions but little classroom experience.

Whilst following teachers across a 10-week term may sound banal, audiences relished in the highs and lows of this familiar primary school. Lucy takes on more responsibility under Deb’s tutelage, James skirts around additional work, and Sharron pours her passion into the end-of-year concert. Not to mention timetable chaos, acronym overload and the desperation of teachers hoping the good pre-service teachers will survive their degree, when approximately 50% of their classmates won’t.
 

Should this show have further development, it would be nice to see more narrative to support the punchlines, as sometimes Deb comes across as more nosy and jaded than supportive and career-driven. Similarly, the audience doesn’t get to fully understand Lucy’s graduation plans or the thought process behind them. However, there was barely a moment of silence from the audience during the 60-minute show, which delivered joke after joke. 

There was nothing “dark” about this comedy, giggles, groans, and fully-fledged laughter ensured a great night out.