Plot
- A group of teenagers believe they have killed Adam, a younger boy they bullied, after he fell into a grille in a field during one of their dares.
- Phil, who barely speaks, takes control and plans a cover-up: they will plant DNA evidence to blame an imaginary man. But a real man who fits the description is arrested.
- Adam is found alive, living in a hedge and badly affected. Phil decides he cannot return, and sends Cathy and Brian to take him into the woods; it is implied he is killed.
- Leah, who talks constantly to the silent Phil, leaves the school. The group is changed: Brian is on medication, Cathy enjoys power, and Phil withdraws.
Characters and themes
- John Tate leads at first but loses control; Phil leads by planning; Leah questions what they have done; Cathy becomes ruthless.
- Themes: responsibility and guilt, leadership and power, peer pressure, morality, and violence.
Context and form
- Written by Dennis Kelly in 2008 for the National Theatre's youth theatre programme. Each of its four acts moves between a street, a field and a wood, and Leah's long speeches contrast with Phil's silence.
Key terms
- Monologue
- A long speech by one character.
- Peer pressure
- Pressure from friends to behave a certain way.
- Responsibility
- Being accountable for your actions.
- Cover-up
- Hiding the truth about something wrong.
Quick questions on DNA
- What do the teenagers believe they have done to Adam?
- Killed him after a dare went wrong: He fell into a grille in a field.
- Who plans the cover-up?
- Phil: He hardly speaks but takes control.
- How do they try to cover up what happened?
- By planting DNA evidence to blame an imaginary man: A real man is arrested.
- Where is Adam found?
- Living in a hedge: He has been badly affected.
- Who talks almost constantly to Phil?
- Leah: Phil rarely answers.
- Who loses control of the group at the start?
- John Tate: He tries to stop people using certain words.
- Which theme is shown by the group blaming an innocent man?
- Responsibility and guilt: The group avoids taking responsibility.
- What are the three settings that repeat in each act?
- A street, a field and a wood: The repetition makes the world feel small and trapped.