Liberation Squares
The North Wall/Touring

THE Prevent Strategy to counter terrorism and radicalisation probably came to most people’s attention in 2021 when a primary school pupil was referred to the government’s controversial programme after a teacher mistook the word alms for arms during a classroom discussion.

Updated in 2011 to nebulously include anyone expressing “vocal or active opposition to fundamental British values,” whatever they may be, it provided guidelines to sectors and institutions “where there are risks of radicalisation,” including schools and hospitals.

Sonali Bhattacharyya’s play commissioned by Fifth Word shows the real impact of this surveillance programme on three Muslim heritage, school girls already coping with daily acts of racism.

Ruqaya (Vaneeka Dadhria) and Sabi (Asha Hassan) are besties, one into rap the other into comics, filling their spare time with a delightful mixture of naive plans and amateurish rap routines — that is, until the dynamic and articulate Xara (Halema Hussain) enters the scene.

With her active social media account profiling women who have stood up for their rights and as a young ambassador for the Safe Sisters, a socially orientated group organising writing workshops for girls, her enthusiasm for self-expression divides the two friends.

A hiatus over one of the society’s phones leant to Xara and Ruqaya’s appalling funny, improvised rap complaining of the injustice and innocently posted on Tik Tok occurs just before Xara is escorted to the head teacher’s office to be questioned by Prevent Strategy officials.

The girls’ innocent lives crash as they realise they have been reported by someone they know for something they have done and might be suspected of some unknown pre-criminal activity.

Directed by Milli Bhatia, the production is full of youthful spirit, teenage angst, humour and with occasional beat boxing accompaniment. The fear of hidden reports and the weight of suspicion on the girls’ sense of self-worth and hopes for the future does not drag down the energy or make the message didactic.

The play celebrates youthful imagination and curiosity as much as questions the perceived ubiquitous and concealed nature of the intrusive Prevent Strategy apparatus. Now touring nationally and well worth catching.

For tour dates and box office: fifthword.co.uk