Title: Is it really that bad?
by Hannah from Lancashire | in writing, fiction
Lights come up on centre stage ' a brightly lit TV set ' it is decorated as in a TV magazine show: neutral colours and tasteful ornaments. In the foreground there are two sofas; on one a 'TV presenter couple' are sat, on the other is a girl in her 20s dressed fairly casually.
Female TV presenter: Now we're joined by Rachel Case with her new book.
Male TV presenter: Tell us about it.
R: Well, it's about how hard it is to grow up in urban Britain.
Man: Were your teenage years were tough?
R: (Pauses as if to think)
The action freezes and spotlights flash over the stage on the centre scene and four other frozen frames which had previously been in darkness. The spotlights flash until they settle on one of the frozen frames.
The frozen frame is of a sleepover in Rachel's early teens (Made obvious by the fact her hair is a different colour to the others). She is there with four other girls all dressed in pyjamas and lying on a big double bed with snacks, magazines, make-up, and cushions scattered everywhere.
Girl 1: Ideal man, Rach?
Giggling
Girl 2: (In a playful, yet knowing tone)
Rich from maths?
More giggling and whooping
Scene freezes and returns to the studio
R: Well'
Woman: Your character struggles a lot with alcohol and drugs.
R: Erm'
As before the scene freezes and the spotlights flash until settling on a different freeze frame.
Group of about 6 teenagers in their mid-teens ' 3 boys, 3 girls ' dressed in 'summer' clothes: shorts, t-shirts, flip flops; in some sort of park playing Frisbee ' the scene 'unfreezes' and the game goes on with whooping and cheering at various points. The game ends in a pile-on.
Teenage Rachel: (In the middle of the pile-on) Who said you needed booze and drugs to have fun!?
The scene freezes and returns to the studio.
Man: You've painted quite a stark picture of teenage life in Britain.
R: Ah'
As before the scene freezes and when the spotlights stop the scene is of a bedroom with two older teenage girls one with shopping bags strewn over the floor.
Holding clothes up to herself in a mirror, laughing with her friend ' trying different combinations
R: Well? (Both laugh)
Scene freezes and returns to the studio
Man: So I suppose it's quite rubbish to be a teenager in modern Britain.
R: (Sighs)
As before the scene freezes and the spotlights flash until they rest on the group of 6 teenagers again ' this time they are late teens ' sat on top of a car, watching a sunset by the seaside. They are dressed in jeans, hoody ' as if to keep warm after a clear summer's day.
Boy 1: What's on your mind?
R: Nothing.
Girl 1: Nothing?
R: Nope ' no worries. (Lies back on the roof of the car) Enjoy it while you can.
All the lights go down
After looking at other entries, I realised that most people had concentrated on the negative aspects of being a teenager. In truth, most of what appears in them is rare and not what it's like to grow up as a teenager in urban Britain. I decided to challenge this stereotype by looking at the good times that teenagers have. Most people overlook them because the news headlines aren't going to be about a group of kids going to the beach to have fun together. My script goes beyond the media's view of teenagers and sees what they're like and what they do on a day to day basis.
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