This book introduces children ages 7-9 to the amazing science of DNA, genetics, and what makes you you. When Adam actually appears in Act 3 Scene 3 (p49) we find out he has been living in a hedge. He has suffered a head injury and this is evidently still affecting him as his memory is weak and his speech is confused and staggered (p53)

Richard: " Cathy doesn’t care. She’s too busy running things…She’s insane. She cut off a first year’s finger, that’s what they say anyway." Richard is in need of guidance from a leader. Richard’s way of dealing with the situations that arise is to become sarcastic and to put others down. These characters act as the ‘chorus’ or narrators. They throw the audience directly into the action at the beginning of each Act and are useful as they fill in any blanks for us.Scene 2: Leah is still trying to gain Phil’s attention. This time she talks about the nature of happiness. She shows him a Tupperware container and says it is Jerry. She describes how she has killed him. They all think that he’s dead, and go about making a plan to hide what they’ve done. Their plan goes slightly wrong when they frame an innocent postman for ‘kidnapping’ Adam. Brian, a member of their group, refuses to go to the police station and confirm that he saw the man alone with Adam. However, he ends up going because Phil threatens to throw him down the grate to ‘rot together’ with Adam. Had to read this for drama class in school. Thought that it was okay. I felt that the characters were very different and were all quite interesting, although were not developed very well (probably because the play itself was so short). Act 4 Scene 2 Phil is sat with Richard in the field. The stage directions clearly state, ‘Phil is not eating.’ Although Richard takes Leah’s role, something is missing/ wrong as Phil is not eating. This is significant. Does he realise he needs Leah? Scene 3: Adam is alive and has been living in a hedge. He has survived by living off dead animals. He has clearly sustained a head injury. Phil instructs Jan, Mark and Lou to leave and not say anything. He shows Cathy how to kill Adam by tying a plastic bag around Brian’s head (who is by not on medication and is clearly losing his mind). Leah begs him not to do this.

Scene 1: The audience learn that someone is ‘not going’…this is a reference to Brian not going to the police station Cathy appears to have a callous side when she obtains DNA evidence from an actual postman who fits the description Phil made up. Did she do this because she is a social climber who is trying to impress the leader, or did she genuinely not realise what she has done? (p38) Scene 3: The police have found a man that fits the description of the man that Phil concocted because Cathy used her ‘initiative’ to find a man that matched the description. The plan has gone wrong. Brian is refusing to go into the police station to identify the man who is being framed. Phil threatens him with being taken up to the grille if he doesn’t go. Brian goes. Dialogue: I like the vagueness of Jan and Mark's dialogues appearing at the beginning of every part. The cross-cutting will be fun to perform, though difficult. Everyone has heard of DNA. But by itself, DNA is just an inert blueprint for life. It is the ribosome—an enormous molecular machine made up of a million atoms—that makes DNA come to life, turning our genetic code into proteins and therefore into us. This book is an insider account of the race for the structure of the ribosome, a fundamental discovery that both advances our knowledge of all life and could lead to the development of better antibiotics against life-threatening diseases.

Molecular Biology of the Cell. 4th edition.

In Richard’s final commentary to Phil on what the members of the group are now up to, we find out that Lou is best friends with Cathy. A portrait of the Nobel Prize-winning scientist explores the impact of James Watson's The Double Helix on her career and how her team's invention of CRISPR technology enabled revolutionary DNA-editing approaches to fighting disease. Mark and Jan are responsible for the events surrounding the bullying of Adam that lead to him falling into the grille. From p20 – 23 we are given a detailed description of the events that take place. Mark and Jan appear to be trying to justify their actions in this scene, Lou has no complicated speeches but instead speaks using simple sentences or short phrases. Phrases such as ‘We’re screwed’ (p34) make her appear young/ not assertive and relies on being given instruction. She also appears to believe the lies the group have created (p35) Richard first appears to be a strong character and potentially someone who is able to be a leader of the group. Lou is scared of him and he presents a challenge to John Tate’s leadership. Although he stands up to John Tate ( You shouldn’t threaten me John’ p17), he is eventually put in his place when John Tate turns the entire group against Richard by telling them to choose sides. (Act 1 Scene 3).

A group of teenagers do something bad, really bad, then panic and cover the whole thing up. But when they find that their cover-up unites them and brings harmony to their once fractious lives, where is the incentive to put things right. Lou will follow whoever the leader is at the time. She is a ‘yes’ woman and will do as she is told. She is controlled by fear (see Act 1 Scene 3). She is afraid of John Tate but also of ‘ Richard, maybe’ (p13). This causes John Tate to panic and ultimately results in John Tate and Richard’s confrontation. Lou (possibly inadvertently) has planted the seed in John Tate’s mind that he is not seen as a leader which results in the struggle for power between him and Richard. Ultimately, their conflict ends with John Tate re-gaining power through threats and fear. By the end of the play we learn that Cathy is now in charge and appears to have a sadistic nature. Phil has left the group so she assumes the leader role she seems to have been craving. Although on stage in many scenes, Phil rarely speaks. Usually his action involves eating (ice-cream/Starburst/waffles, etc.). Scene 4: Leah does not speak. Phil offers her a sweet and as he puts his arm round her to show affection, she spits out the sweet and leaves in disgust. Phil shouts after her.He cannot deal with his guilt and is prescribed medication to help him cope. He is seen to revert to a childlike state of ‘play’ by Act 3 Scene 3 as his way of dealing with the events.