alphabetical author index

When They Go Low

  • Natalie Mitchell
  • Full Length Play, Drama, Contemporary, New Millennium/21st Century
  • 3M, 6F
  • ISBN: 9781848429024

"But deep down, we all know the only thing I did wrong was be a girl who spoke up. A girl who refused to stay silent. And… I’m still not gonna stay silent, because this stuff is too important to keep ignoring."

  • Full Length Play
  • Drama

  • Time Period: Contemporary, New Millennium/21st Century
  • Target Audience: Teen (Age 14 - 18)
  • Set Requirements: Unit Set/Multiple Settings

  • Performance Group:
  • High School/Secondary, College Theatre / Student, Community Theatre, Blackbox / Second Stage /Fringe Groups
When social media goes into a frenzy over pictures of a girl at a party, Louise's teacher lectures all the schoolgirls on taking more responsibility for their actions. Enraged that it's them getting reprimanded – and not the boys who took the pictures – Louise wages war on the school's systemic misogyny.

But when she threatens popular boy Scott, risking his claim to the School Captain title, things escalate horribly; a website appears, objectifying the girls and shaming them for their actions.

Natalie Mitchell's play When They Go Low explores everyday feminism, consent and the changing face of teenage sexuality in an online world. Is it always true that 'when they go low', we should go high?

Written specifically for young people, the play formed part of the 2018 National Theatre Connections Festival and was premiered by youth theatres across the UK. It offers rich opportunities for a large cast of all genders, with particularly strong roles for young women.

Note for Performers: When They Go Low includes a substantial amount of dialogue to be performed by a chorus. These lines are not attributed to specific individuals, and can be performed by the main cast, or by an additional chorus of between 4 and 40 performers.


Premiere Production: National Theatre Connections, 2018.
  • Casting: 3M, 6F
  • Casting Attributes: Good role(s) for younger performers, Expandable casting

Name Price
When They Go Low Script This is optional. Order Now

When social media goes into a frenzy over pictures of a girl at a party, Louise's teacher lectures all the schoolgirls on taking more responsibility for their actions. Enraged that it's them getting reprimanded – and not the boys who took the pictures – Louise wages war on the school's systemic misogyny.

But when she threatens popular boy Scott, risking his claim to the School Captain title, things escalate horribly; a website appears, objectifying the girls and shaming them for their actions.

Natalie Mitchell's play When They Go Low explores everyday feminism, consent and the changing face of teenage sexuality in an online world. Is it always true that 'when they go low', we should go high?

Written specifically for young people, the play formed part of the 2018 National Theatre Connections Festival and was premiered by youth theatres across the UK. It offers rich opportunities for a large cast of all genders, with particularly strong roles for young women.

$24.95