Last night Reece and I went to Theatre Porto to watch the Flux Tour. A show that has been created by Mortal Fools, a charity that works with children and young adults helping them to build relationships and better connect with each other through the medium of drama.
What is Flux?
Flux is a show written and performed by teenagers for teenagers. It is a series of conversations and monologues from 12 different voices concentrating on various different aspects of growing up in 2023. It looks at our eagerness to put a label on everything and everyone and then stereotyping and judging each other based on these labels and the impact that has on teenagers who are still trying to find their way in the world and figure it all out.
Flux covers topics such as gender, sexuality, personality, friendship groups and looking to the future. It is funny and thought provoking, shocking and scarily accurate all at the same time.
As the parent of a teenager I sat in the audience and nodded along to some parts, wondering if our house had in fact been the inspiration for the script. At others parts I found myself taking note and really thinking about the fact that the world I grew up in was so much different than the one my children are growing up in, the lack of technology back then definitely made life easier but also so did the lack of labels and choice in some respect, although I am sure there are people who look back and wish there had been more understanding then than there was. And then again at other points I could see the similarities between then and now and found myself thinking back to my own teenage years, immediately knowing which of my teachers were the ones like those being impersonated on the stage and the whole process of “borrowing” personality traits really made me giggle.
Overall I found the show to be insightful and full of great advice and reassurance to todays teenagers and their parents and I think that, if possible, Flux should do a tour of senior schools next as there are thousands of children that would benefit from watching it, a few teachers too I imagine!
In regards to the actors, they were amazing. So professional and confident and I have no doubt a few of them will carve out a great career in this area if that’s what they want. Just before the show started we were told one cast member had taken ill and the rest of the performers were trying to split the lines and make it work, had we not been told I never would have known they were simply brilliant.
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