More than 200 Year 8 students from Acton’s Ellen Wilkinson School for Girls have watched a performance of Smashed, a theatre and interactive workshop production that helps secondary school students understand the issues around underage drinking.
The production last Wednesday (5 March 2025) by Collingwood Learning consisted of a 25 minute performance followed by a 35 minute workshop where students had an opportunity to comment on the themes and discuss the issues and dangers of drinking.
The production is supported by drinks giant Diageo which says “we are deeply committed to tackling underage drinking”.
Ellen Wilkinson is one of eight schools that is part of a current tour for Smashed which has been running for 20 years and in that time been seen by over 580,000 students in the UK.
Speaking to EALING.NEWS, an Ellen Wilkinson teacher who watched the performance with her students said: “The performance was very impressive and the students were very engaged. A lot of important issues were raised- not just about alcohol. It’s important for students to learn about alcohol and peer pressure and how it can lead to consequences. It’s really good for this age group particularly as we need to raise the issues early.”
Chris Simes, managing director, Collingwood Learning said: “Despite the progress made in reducing underage drinking across Great Britain, it remains crucial to continue reinforcing our message, and our team is eager to engage young people across Greater London about the ongoing health and social risks of drinking underage.”
Nuno Teles, managing director from Diageo GB added: “At Diageo, we are deeply committed to tackling underage drinking and we hope that the students we are visiting across Greater London will not only gain valuable insights from the performances, but also leave better informed and prepared to make responsible choices about alcohol.”
