Brainstorm

Inside every adolescent brain, 86 billion neurons connect and collide to produce the most frustrating, chaotic and exhilarating changes that will ever happen to us.

“Brainstorm” is a unique theatrical investigation into how teenagers’ brains work, and why they’re designed by evolution to be the way they are. In the last week of the Spring Term the Senior Theatre Company staged this powerful and thought-provoking piece of theatre, proving the point that teenagers may not be all that they might first appear to be.

Created by Ned Glasier and Emily Lim with Company Three, in collaboration with neuroscientists Professor Sarah-Jayne Blakemore and Dr Kate Mills, the play is designed to be created and performed by a company of teenagers, drawing directly on their personal experiences. Over the course of 12 weeks the group delved into the subject matter, each contributing to the script and making it personal to them as a company.

During their performance the cast explored the science behind why teenagers act the way they do by investigating how parts of the brain, such as the prefrontal cortex, the part that warns us against taking unnecessary risks, develop. The audience were challenged to think about what they would say if they came face-to-face with their teenage selves, and also invited to take part in an interactive game of “Never have I ever” as the drama progressed.

Despite tackling a complex subject the assured performances certainly offered a deeper level of understanding of the teenage brain and the audiences left with an appreciation of the commitment and enthusiasm shown by the hugely talented cast.