Film resources
THE TALK is a verbatim play about people’s experiences of Relationships and Sex Education. The interviews that make up the play were gathered in 2017 and early 2018. Ten extracts of THE TALK have been filmed by Chouette Films for use in schools and teacher training institutions. In these filmed extracts - embedded below - actors share material from the project using a technique called ‘headphone verbatim’. Some of these stories are shared anonymously, and others are not - depending on what the interviewee requested.
The technique behind the films
Verbatim theatre is often defined as a type of documentary theatre, where real people’s spoken words are used to construct the script. Headphone verbatim is a sub-genre within verbatim theatre; the actors listen to an edit of the original interview material on headsets, and repeat that content back to the audience in real time. Therefore, in these short films, you will see the actors performing whilst wearing headphones.
How to use these short films
These short films can be used for free to help start discussions about the topics involved. Please read the content warning below, and check out each short film before using in a class or seminar.
Please get in touch if you would like to share how you have used the films, or if you have any questions. Feedback is always welcome! Please also get in touch if transcripts of the clips would be useful for your work. Subtitles will be available for each film in the near future.
Content warning
Due to the nature of the subject matter, some of the films below contain stories about sex, violence and sexual abuse. A range of experiences and opinions are shared. Please check that the content of any video is suitable for your audience before using it as a resource.
If you need support in relation to any of the topics raised in these films there are many places you can contact. If you are a young person you can contact Childline. Anyone can contact the Samaritans at any time.
In ‘ROLY POLY’ four actors share a range of voices from a group of mothers and a teacher at a Primary School. They talk about what their children have already learnt, their hopes and concerns about what they might learn next.
‘I KNEW’ - an interview with the poet Simon Maddrell - explores the importance of Relationships and Sex Education, in particular in relation to our bodies, our rights and sexual health.
In ‘TEA’ a young man shares what he learnt at school, where he might find information about sex now, and the feelings attached to one of his first sexual experiences.
In ‘FIFTEEN’ a group of Year 10 students discuss what they have been taught so far in Relationships and Sex Education. Their conversation explores who they feel comfortable talking to. They also discuss pornography, pleasure, and abusive relationships.
In ‘CAVE MAN’ a teacher discusses their school’s approach to Relationships and Sex Education, including the views and misconceptions of some of the students.
In ‘THAT DRESS’ a woman recounts how she tried to disclose her experiences of childhood sexual abuse to teachers at her school. Now, as a teacher herself, she discusses what role teachers play in safeguarding.
In ‘HIDDEN’ a woman discusses the impact of the childhood sexual abuse she experienced at home. She shares her hope that schools would now pick up on the signs that a child needed help.
In ‘WORM STORY’ a former science teacher shares an anecdote about what can happen when students feel comfortable to talk about ‘strange things’ without facing ridicule.
In ‘DIFFERENT’ a young non-binary trans person discusses their experiences of school and how some faith schools might approach the new Relationships and Sex Education (RSE) curriculum.
In ‘PAPER’ a man thinks back to the time before the internet and how he learnt about sex from pornography magazines.