When They Go Low

‘But deep down, we all know the only thing I did wrong was be a girl who spoke up. A girl who refused to stay silent. And… I’m still not gonna stay silent, because this stuff is too important to keep ignoring.’

When social media goes into a frenzy over pictures of a girl at a party, Louise’s teacher lectures all the schoolgirls on taking more responsibility for their actions. Enraged that it’s them getting reprimanded - and not the boys who took the pictures - Louise wages war on the school’s systemic misogyny.

But when she threatens popular boy Scott, risking his claim to the School Captain title, things escalate horribly; a website appears, objectifying the girls and shaming them for their actions.

Natalie Mitchell’s play When They Go Low explores everyday feminism, consent and the changing face of teenage sexuality in an online world. Is it always true that ‘when they go low’, we should go high?

Written specifically for young people, the play formed part of the 2018 National Theatre Connections Festival and was premiered by youth theatres across the UK. It offers rich opportunities for a large cast of all genders, with particularly strong roles for young women.