Wacky Soap

It is notoriously difficult to find an effective way of alerting children to some of the dangers facing them and of preparing them for the choices with which they are going to be surrounded. They have been taught to question received opinion and to be suspicious of the "Thou shalt nots" which were set before earlier generations. Part of the difficulty, of course, lies in the fact that some of the dangers are seductive and are usually portrayed as highly desirable. From their earliest days, children are faced with images of adult life which emphasise pleasure rather than responsibility. Telling people not to do something, once such a straightforward and accepted part of British life, is no longer simply a matter of laying down the rules. This change has, of course, had huge benefits - no-one wants to live in a conformist and restrictive society – but it has also destroyed a line of defence.

How do you teach children about alcohol's problems when they are being told every day about its pleasures? Even if you find an effective way, how do you measure its effectiveness? One of the great leaps forward in education in recent decades has been the increasingly high profile of drama. Once a neglected relation of the English Department, trotted out once a year when bands of youths in ill-fitting sheets listened to an adenoidal Mark Antony, drama has found its place as a major teaching resource. Any teacher with sense allows pupils to discover what set texts are about by performing them. Instead of solely looking at Macbeth on the page, children have the opportunity to act. At a less exalted level than GCSE Shakespeare, improvisation and instantly created drama play an important role in the classroom – at least in more enlightened schools.

In the sure knowledge that learning which is fun is effective learning and that drama is a particularly powerful means of getting a message across, Mark Wheeler has re-issued his play for children, Wacky Soap*. It has no pretentions. It is accessible, good fun, with amusing, easily learned dialogue and catchy tunes. In other words, it provides teachers with an ideal musical for younger pupils to perform – Mr Wheeler is himself a drama teacher in Southampton and knows what he is about. Wacky Soap has a serious purpose. It is about alcohol and substance abuse. Here the soap with unusual powers is the metaphor for booze and the experience of King Huff, Queen Huff, and Princess Symbol, as well as the Everyday Folk, lead to the conclusion:

"Lasting Happiness comes from within

Not from a quick fix lather on your skin."

Wacky Soap was originally published as a short story by the Institute of Alcohol Studies. It now appears as a play with a separate musical score and as an expanded story. It should prove a valuable resource to teachers who want to get an important and difficult message across to young children.

Andrew Varley

*Wacky Soap, Wacky Soap – The Music Score, and The Story of Wacky Soap are published by dbda, Pin Point, 1-2 Rosslyn Crescent, Harrow, HA1 2B.