Let me start with a confession. I am teacher, I teach drama and, like most of us, I once went to school. All this in theory should make me a perfect audience member for Hull Truck Theatre Company's revival of John Godber's drama, Teechers, a play within a play about a young drama teacher's probationary period performed by the "pupils" of a special priority comprehensive school. On the other hand, maybe I'll just be harder to satisfy.

Teechers was first performed in the late eighties and it seems self-consciously updated in this latest production. References to Harry Potter and Lord of the Rings appear to have been crowbarred into a play that is still very relevant today.

Teechers has a lot more bite than films like The Dead Poets Society

This self-consciousness is especially evident in the programme which makes little or no reference to the history of Teechers which is a great shame, because Godber's writing is still very vibrant almost twenty years on.

John Godber's plays can be wonderfully theatrical and brilliantly engaging for live audiences which often hampers film adaptations of his work. I was pleasantly surprised that despite its subject matter Teechers manages to avoid any pat, Hollywood endings. It shows the stress of working in tough schools, the way teachers will either get out, toughen up or break down. Although the lead character George Nixon does give a lot to his kids there is no big, life-changing scene - he ends up applying for a job in the local grammar school with its posh drama studio.

This is by no means The Dead Poets Society; Teechers has a lot more bite. The conceit of this play being performed by three "school leavers" allows Godber to pack an emotional punch without being overly sentimental, as well as being a lot of fun for both actors and audiences alike.

The cast of this production establish some excellent theatrical conventions, which the audience obviously enjoyed. There are some excellent gags describing the bizarre goings on in secondary schools.

Sound effects and slow motion add texture and comedy. For the most part these worked very well to great effect, but a couple of times they lacked clarity, most frustratingly in a scene of important narrative development which left me trying to work out what had happened when I should have been carried with the flow.

The production rattles along firing out witty jokes. The audience seemed to find a lot of truth in a lot of the jokes, taking the joy we all share from laughing at teachers who do, it seems, "all dance like retards."

Matthew Booth is good as Salty finding contrast in a production, which sometimes seems to play at only one level, both in performance and pace but is almost constantly big and fast throughout. This characteristic was most notable in Vicky Binns's performance as Gail. Whilst the loud persona was perfect for Gail (a character I recognised from many classes), Vicky Binns could have allowed more depth in the other characters she played. To be honest I felt like I was being constantly shouted at.

Teechers is still a vibrant, punchy play very much relevant today, yet this production directed by John Godber, is not exceptional and falls a little short of its potential. Yet, the audience, which consisted to a large extent of teachers and young people, seemed to enjoy it a great deal. As the audience left, the foyer was full of the noise of burbling familiarity: "You know he was just like..."

Mat Verguson

Teechers is at the Lawrence Batley Theatre in Huddersfield until Saturday 25th September 2004 and at Wakefield's Theatre Royal and Opera House from Monday 27th September to Friday 1st October 2004.