Brainstorm
by Ned Glasier, Emily Lim

Off-West End

Brainstorm Book Cover — Brainstorm Cover

Highlights

75 mins Present Day Flexible Cast Size Unit Set/Multiple Settings Contemporary Costumes/Street Clothes

Synopsis

Inside every adolescent brain, 86 billion neurons connect and collide to produce the most frustrating, chaotic, and exhilarating changes that happen to human bodies.

Brainstorm is a theatrical investigation into how teenagers’ brains work, and why they’re designed by evolution to be the way they are.

Created in collaboration with neuroscientists Professor Sarah-Jayne Blakemore and Dr. Kate Mills, the play is a blueprint for a company of teenagers to create and perform by drawing directly on their personal experiences.

Brainstorm was adapted for television as part of BBC’s Live from Television Centre.

Press Reviews

"A very cunningly put together piece, drawing with unflinching honesty on material excavated from the young people’s own lives… and capturing the hormonal rush and wild mood swings of teenage existence… the real beauty of this memorable show is that it’s not just all about them – it’s definitely about us too."
— The Guardian (UK)

"Brainstorm is refreshingly entertaining and informative, rooted as it is in devised drama… taken straight from the mouths of young people. They own the space, their story and our avid attention."
— Londonist

"There’s a deep honesty matched by an artistry… This isn’t just open-mike night at the community centre."
— The Times (London)

Characters

Character	Gender	Age	Description
Youngest Gets teased for being the youngest person in the company.	—	—	Gets teased for being the youngest person in the company.
Sprouting Explains the process of learning in the teenage brain.	—	—	Explains the process of learning in the teenage brain.
Prefrontal Cortex (Pfc) Impersonates their parent to demonstrate the “sensible” part of the brain.	—	—	Impersonates their parent to demonstrate the “sensible” part of the brain.
Conflict Has an explosive fight with their parent that builds through the play.	—	—	Has an explosive fight with their parent that builds through the play.
Limbic Makes everyone have fun and take risks. In this blueprint and in the script template, we have gendered these roles according to the original performers, but young people of any gender can play any of the roles. Our version of Brainstorm was made with ten teenagers, but you could make your version with anything from six upwards. The wider the age range, the better – our oldest was eighteen and the youngest was thirteen. There are six key roles in the play. They carry the journey of the play and represent different elements within it. All other lines/actions can be carried out with any number of other performers. You may find that you can split some of the key roles between separate performers.	—	—	Makes everyone have fun and take risks. In this blueprint and in the script template, we have gendered these roles according to the original performers, but young people of any gender can play any of the roles. Our version of Brainstorm was made with ten teenagers, but you could make your version with anything from six upwards. The wider the age range, the better – our oldest was eighteen and the youngest was thirteen. There are six key roles in the play. They carry the journey of the play and represent different elements within it. All other lines/actions can be carried out with any number of other performers. You may find that you can split some of the key roles between separate performers.
Oldest The oldest person in the company. They start and finish the play.	—	—	The oldest person in the company. They start and finish the play.