A Newcastle upon Tyne schoolgirl has written a hard-hitting play warning children about the potential dangers of social networking.
Chelsey Cleminson was only 12 when she wrote Michaela’s Mistake. Now, two years later, the play is touring schools across the North East.
Chelsey, a year 9 pupil at Excelsior Academy in Newcastle, started working on her play as part of Live Theatre’s Write Stuff education project for teenage writers.
The drama tells the story of a girl who becomes the victim of a social networking attack. She is lured to the home of a man with ill intentions who has portrayed himself as someone he is not.
Chelsey worked with actress and writer Tracy Whitwell to turn her original 10-minute script into a 40-minute play.
“The best part of the process for me was the moment I watched my words being acted on stage,” said Chelsey, who is now 14. “I want to carry on writing plays and feel lucky to have been given the opportunity to do something like this.”
Meanwhile Holly Knox, Chelsey’s drama teacher at Excelsior Academy, said: “It’s great to be part of a project that helps young people to engage with theatre and see that it reflects what’s actually happening in the world. Chelsey has taken this all in her stride and it’s fantastic that her talent has been spotted so early.”
CAPTION: On stage: Chelsey Cleminson (left) with actor Natalie Ann Jamieson, who plays Michaela in Michaela’s Mistake