A modern musical that’s both important and profoundly entertaining
The child care system in the UK is in crisis – a 2022 report called for urgent funding increases of £2.6bn, which are still yet to materialise – and it scarcely got a mention amidst the cacophony of failing public services in the 2024 election campaign. The Children’s Inquiry seeks to redress this balance, combining a historical tour of the UK care system with deeply personal, powerful accounts of the modern looked-after-child experience. A bang-up-to-date soundtrack and clever direction unite to produce a musical that is truly a spectacle to behold.
The ambitious narrative scope – taking in everything from the Victorian workhouse to Baby P – is matched by all aspects of the production. Lyrics are built from verbatim accounts of children who have been through the care system, as well as parents under strain, desperate social workers, and hopeful teachers. Music hops between genres and time periods, held together by a unifying dance beat. Most refreshingly, an all-child cast does not limit the production’s vision at all – they tackle ambitious vocal performances and hard-hitting, emotional scenes with aplomb.
The cast’s age does mean there are a few issues with vocal control that you wouldn’t expect from more mature performers, making for a shaky opening ten minutes that struggled to build momentum. The cast warm up, though, and this initial unease is firmly trumped by the tremendous credibility and empathy the actors bring to the stories they are telling. Each cast member has their chance to shine, and it is obvious many performers will make it to the West End stage in the next few years. Particular standouts include Fayth Ifil’s powerful vocals, and Logan Clark’s voice dripping with emotion.
The most effective tool in The Children’s Inquiry’s bag of tricks is its use of juxtaposition. Politicians’ repeated commitments to do better (met by self-aggrandising applause) stand in stark contrast to the verbatim tales of betrayal, confusion and abandonment which unfurl onstage. Cheerful, toe-tapping music is incongruent with the accounts of feeling unloved, uncared for, and that it might all be your fault. Obvious historical outrages stand alongside modern scenarios, questioning how much has really changed for the better. Yet what really comes through is a fundamental message of hope: that things can improve, that people do survive the system, and that we could do so much better if we just put our minds to it.
LUNG – the theatre group responsible for this musical collage of interview, anecdote and history – have bolstered their reputation for hard-hitting, entertaining productions with The Children’s Inquiry. This title itself has a neat double-meaning – representing both the process of its interviewees attempting to make sense of their experiences (“a system that controls more than it cares”), and presenting a compelling case for change.
The result is an ambitious, modern and engrossing exploration of the power of love, and a call to action to save a public service badly in need of a rescue. Go to be entertained, stay for its vital message.
The Children’s Inquiry plays at the Southwark Playhouse Elephant until 3rd August, with Thursday and Saturday matinees. Tickets can be purchased here.